Lunar healing
by Buru-beri-chan
Summary: From the great spirit was born the wolf, and man became its messenger when ends the world the wolf will seek Paradise.Typical OC joins Wolf's rain pack. Kiba/OC
1. Introduction

**A/N:** I wrote this a long time ago back when Wolf's rain came out on tv. I'm dedicating it to Kobi my little brother...well he's not my real blood little brother..he's my dog but ive had him since he was a pup around with the Wolf's rain series came out. I hope you enjoy it__

_They say there's no such thing as Paradise even if you search to the ends of the earth there's nothing there, no matter how far you walk it's just the same road that goes on and on. From the great spirit was born the wolf, and man became its messenger when ends the world the wolf will seek Paradise. Only the wolf will know the way to find it and so they search for the Maiden made of flowers to guide their path to Paradise. Upon creation two maidens were born, one of flower while one of the blood of the white wolf forming a bond of the strongest kind._

_The great white wolf with will strong enough to seek Paradise with their last heaved breath, the maiden born of lunar flowers, and the wolf maiden drawn near with every day of their existence…will these lead to true paradise?_

_This world is decaying._

_This is where the journey begin._


	2. The Great white wolf

**Chapter 1**: The Great white wolf

* * *

><p>One labored breath after another dragged from her lungs as she pushed herself on, the howling wind fought her slim frame trying hard to deny her what she knew was ahead. She could feel it pulsing through her veins like adrenalin or a sweet tormenting drug that numbed the chill of the frigid snow. As faint as it was the sweetest of scents circled her nose tempting her to keep going, keep pushing. She was so close, just a little bit more, let nothing stop you or deter you. She crouched low for a moment when the ground suddenly shuddered slightly but as soon as it ended she took off in a forced sprint shooting across the land in a battle against the wind, bounding hard on the once untouched snow towards the city ahead. She skidded to a stop as she drew close enough to see beaming lights and a dyeing city that circled a large building. Her heart was pounding loudly in her ears thundering her whole being-no her very soul, she was drawing closer to <em>her<em>. A striking sound hit her ears forcing her to look up to the sky, a Nobles ship fly above flashing lights down upon the night covered land. _'...I detest that noise'_ she growled to herself before taking off to her destination.

* * *

><p>"Well that's about the whole Lab area you'll be working in, any questions?" The question made brilliantly bright crimson eyes shift to the man who asked standing in a pure white lab uniform. When eyes made contact the man flinched under the intensity of the crimson stare. Those eyes, they seemed to just tare right through him sending a tremble to his spine.<p>

"No, I understand everything perfectly. Thank you for being so kind as to give me a tour" a voice so soft replied sending the man into slight ease as the countered those intense orbs and created a balance to the person as a whole.

"Hey, what's your name anyway?" this lab dweller asked the crimson eyed, soft spoken creature. He allowed himself a moment to gather this slender beings appearance, surely she could not be human this young woman of whom he had been showing around the lab, it was to be her new working area for she had just taken up a job here. Her smooth hair stop just below her shoulder blades, its pure black color made her fair, soft skin look so pure and forbidden. Her perfect lips formed a smile as she raise an elegant right hand to the space between her chest and her collar bones in an innocent motion to herself.

"My name?" she asked in that soft voice of hers, her smile grew larger "My name is Mahina" she cooed summoning a blush to the man's face. Her lovely features seemed to appeal to him greatly as he nervously searched for words while under those intense red eyes.

"Miss Mahina-" The soft bubble of a giggle interrupted him and his already forming blush grew a noticeably great deal.

"Please, I you will. Just call me Mahi, Mahina seems too formal." Mahina spoke sweetly "I hope to become as close to my new co-workers as I was with my old ones and the way of which I am addressed and the way I address others is the first step" she explained while letting her hand softly, gracefully drop from its place on her chest to the side of her.

"Uh- well -um -uh" the man now stammered, his reaction rewarded him another soft giggle and this in turn changed his skin to a red that almost matched Mahina's eyes. He took a moment to compose himself "Well I was wondering a-are those colored contacts?" he asked. Mahina blinked but if only to make up for her lack of reaction to the question. Of course her eye color was to be questioned; this would not be the first time the subject was brought up. Any curious human would ask such questions and countless of them have, she would give them all the same response but today...today Mahina held no patience for the conversation that would follow. She smiled at the male and nodded.

"You got me" she chuckled in a soft melody of a sound "My eyes are a boring brown not to mention my eye sight-It's terrible. I thought that the color would be more...interesting for me" for a fleeting moment her heart pulse hard within her causing the pause in her words and betraying her inner state for a fraction of a second. From outside Mahina calm face held warmth and charm but within...within this calm aura her insides screamed from every muscle, every nerve, every fiber, cell and tissue that made Mahina. Everything cried out for it, the cause of her anguish. It had started earlier when she had finally arrived and entered the dome city in the light of day, Mahina didn't know where it had come from but someone's blood had been spilt somewhere deep within the tall ruins of this dying city. As soon as the scent of the fresh crimson liquid touched her nose Mahina's sense grew intense, her pulse pounded quicker, she became...excited. She didn't know why but even at this very moment, even as she spoke to this kind man, all she wanted to do was find the source of her new found feelings. She couldn't fight them once that took to her with such a shuddering force, it would not be cast aside by needs for food nor would it be swayed by her priorities. It was a priority and it would be met. All Mahina could do was follow the pull of this great desire, this great need to find the source and with that she ended up here the center of the city. Mahina, without much effort, was able to fool the people of this building into believing that she was transferring to this lab from another dome city and within the hour she was being given a tour. These halls, Mahina hated being in them. They went on and on for miles and smelled far too clean, it was hard for someone such as Mahina to get her bearings of the place when one of her keen senses was so stubbornly fought off by such...cleanliness. It mattered not after a while, the lack of other scents later worked in her favor as she was touring the areas she would be "working" in it returned. She could smell from behind one of the many doors they past the blood, the crimson that caught her nose before, and now it took everything in her power to keep from trembling with anticipation while she walked along side a very kind man who she was having small conversation with. After passing so many doors and so many halls with that scent caressing her nose Mahina eventually faded from the conversation she had been having. It was all she could do to keep her excited soul within herself. It was so overwhelming like the rush of the first light of a full moon or the thrill of a good hunt, this feeling, this overbearing feeling, it felt like freedom. Yes...freedom from this human illusion and this crumbling city, it was freedom that Mahina's every being howled for until she could no longer stand it.

"Um Excuse me" she spoke stopping the man mid-sentence, judging by chuckle in his voice he must be telling her something he considered to be funny, making him flinch.

"y-yes?" he said

"This woman, Cher, who I am suppose to be assisting. When shall she return?" Mahina asked "I am very eager to start working" The man tilted his head questioningly at her and opened his mouth to speak when a woman's voice rang out making both heads turn back.

"You must be Miss Mahina", Mahina stared at a slender blonde woman who smiled at her. Mahina held her hands up and shook her head.

"Oh no Miss, please just call me Mahi-oh! You must be Professor Cher! It is an honor" she spoke playing her part well as she bowed politely. Cher smiled grew a certain amount and she hummed a sound of amusement.

"So, you would like to start working right away Mahi?" she asked, Mahina nodded eagerly.

"Oh yes Ma'am" she said

"Very good then follow me" she said turning away and walk back the way she came.

"Right away" Mahina said sprinting a bit until she walked beside the woman.

* * *

><p>"I figure this sort of this might be under your work"<p>

The scent was getting stronger, so very stronger and slowly Mahina could feel her control chipping away and her bodily instincts coming forth. Her hair prickled along the back of her neck and her spin quaked with shivers when she breathed in too much through her nose.

"So it's alive?"

It was so strong! The walls were thick with the smell only Mahina's nose could ever smell. For once she longed for the stench of the chemicals humans called clean if it would rid her of scent and free her from its hold over her. Oh, she could not _stand_ it!

"Just barely but it's only a matter of time"

"Sounds like the two of us" Cher commented with a tone of amusement glancing back at Mahina. Mahina walked behind Cher and a man she knew at the moment as Hubb, Cher's Ex-husband, when the woman looked her way Mahina looked away at the halls they past not only to try and look as if she were more interested in her surrounding then the broken couples conversation, which was all the more true, but in fear that her growing excitement would show in her eyes and earn her questions she could not answer. Either way she would grant them their privacy.

"We're not over yet" Hubb replied to Cher, sadly having keen ears wasn't always the best thing in the world. "All we have to do is keep trying" he continued.

"I'm not so sure" Cher said calmly as the three slowed to a stop before a door. Mahina followed without question, this must be where she was to work. The broken couple entered but Mahina stopped at the door and sucked air in through her mouth nose sharply and loudly. Her control vanished and her body went utterly rigid a copper blood attacked her senses in such an over whelming amount she felt a sense of faintness come to her. This was it! The source was here in this very room! It had to be or the scent wouldn't be so very overbearingly thick. Both Hubb and Cher stopped at the loud sound and looked back at Mahina "Mahi are you alright?" Cher said eyeing her. With her body recovered from the initial shock Mahina blinked going wide eyed, she did not hide her actions at all too well

"Oh -u-uh yes I'm fine, just-ACHO!" she stopped in the middle of her sentence to sneeze "just had to sneeze is all..." she trailed off when she looked past the two into the room. She couldn't help but search the room for the source of her inner torment, her body screamed for her to, but to her surprise her crimson eyes found standing before a cage in the far end of the room a chubby amber wolf with a black leather collar around his neck gazing into the cage with much interest. Both Hubb and Cher followed her staring and stepped farther into the room.

"Hey! What are you doing? What department are you with?"Hubb called Mahina slowly took a couple of baby steps into the room as a Sandy haired, yellow sweat shirt, grey sweat pants wearing boy with a black leather dog collar around his neck turned around to face them reflecting surprise in his eyes.

"oh uh sorry I was looking for cleaning supplies I guess I must have got lost" the boy replied sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck and glancing around the room but stopped as he laid eyes on Mahina who, not really caring to an extreme for the make, looked away.

"The cleaning crew huh? Just go out that door supplies are on the right" Hubb said

"Oh uh are they uh thanks!" the boy said waving and heading to the door Hubb pointed at he slowed down as he got to it and glanced back locking eyes with Mahina before disappearing behind the door. A small silence filled the room as Cher walked towards the cage and Mahina timidly followed with eyes wide like a child entering a candy store for the very first time. While Cher leaned forward Mahina went down on her knees staring at the wolf that lay on the blood stained bottom of the cage. His fur was as pure as snow; Mahina's eye's held such wonder as she stared at him.

Never had she seen such a wolf, his very presence thrilled her and as a draft of wind came from the door the boy from before left in the smell of blood raised into her nose. This was the scent she had been looking for, the source of her sudden rush, her sudden feeling of awakening.

"So what do you think? Is it really a wolf?" Hubb asked Cher tilted her head

"I don't know I haven't actually seen one before" Cher replied "what do you think Mahi?" she asked but Mahina didn't reply, her crimson eyes locked on the beautiful white creature before her being stained by his own blood turning his pure fur red "Mahina" Cher repeated herself with a sternness to her voice causing the girl to look up.

"Huh?" she said looking back at Cher

"I asked what you thought" Cher said. No one notice the wolf in the cage open his eye ever so slightly and look up at the woman nearest to the cage Cher, the man near the door Hubb, and a slim, lanky, almost cat like wolf. The obvious female, for any male so lanky would have to be a cub...a runt at that, had shinning black fur that stripped along her back mixing well with the snow white and dust of light brown. The woman, Cher, had addressed her as Mahina.

"Oh i-im sorry" Mahina spoke slowly turning to look at the wolf again who closed his eyes again "I am not certain, I-I have seen dogs like this before back home that had a hint of wolf in them but all of them were only part, not fully a purebred wolf. As many of them I've examined none of them came close to this big" she said softly glad that Cher could not see the admiration Mahina directed to this great male and his breath taking white fur. Cher slowly nodded not moving a bit from her leaning position.

"If it is a wolf it may be what's causing the sudden reactions in Cheza" Cher said Mahina heard Hubb huff.

"Oh not Cheza again" he mumbled Cher straitened herself and looked back at him

"What's that mean?" she questioned

"It's because of her you and I broke up" Hubb commented and immediately Mahina rolled her eyes. Not bothering to look back she could sense an irked Cher put her hands on her hips and glare at Hubb.

"Stop acting like an idiot Hubb and bring this up to the lab" she hissed, the rest of their conversation slowly faded from Mahina's ears until it was nothing but a mumble to her. She was focused on the wolf before her in the cage that remained so still, were they certain he wasn't dead? "Mahina are you coming?" Cher voice cut into Mahina's trail of thought. She looked back at Cher

"Huh? o-oh! pardon me" she said her cheeks flashing pink at the fact that she wasn't paying attention again "just go ahead I-if you do not mind I would like to stay here for a few more minutes to see if I can't figure anything out" she said softly Cher stared at her for a moment before nodding and leaving the room with Hubb.

Mahina stared at the door the two walked out of until it closed softly with a click. She turned back to the cage to see the white wolf's eye's open wide and staring at her as she softly laid her muzzle on the cold floor, her nose was close to touching the metal cage as it heaved in more of the males scent. Now that she was so close she caught more of his scent rather than his beckoning blood but it sent her trembling all the same. He smelled of snow and fresh pine, of a wilderness Mahina was certain she'd never seen before in her life. Her ears were perked and ready to listen to anything that the wolf would say to her but after three long minutes of silence she realized he wasn't going to speak._ 'Your coat is breath taking' _she spoke softly as if her voice would offend him if it was too high a volume. The wolf didn't say anything to her, he just stared _'I'm not sure what it is about you but I'm going crazy because of your blood I can't seem to stop my body from trembling since I smelt it'_ she said though she wasn't sure why she was telling him this or if he even really cared. Mahina shifted her eyes from the wolfs face to his wounds that still bled somewhat across the cage floor _'those looks bad, do you need help?'_ she asked and was surprised when the wolf replied quickly, and a bit snappy actually.

_'I can get out of here whenever I feel like it'_ he said earning a tilt of Mahina's head.

'_Then why are you still here?'_ she asked the wolf was silent for a long time before he replied.

_'I just need rest, that's all'_ Mahina nodded and heaved in another nose full of the wolf's scent.

'_I'm-'_ the wolf interrupted her

_'Mahina right?'_ he said taking her by surprise

'_Oh so I guess you were awake when we were talking'_ she replied, the wolf stared at her with his golden eyes that pierced just as strongly as Mahina's now platinum ones

_'What are you doing here anyway?'_ he asked her. This time it was Mahina turn to go silent, should she share with this mysterious wolf why she was here? Her instincts told her she could trust him to know but after giving it another quick thought she decided not to relay her main objective.

'_I...I'm looking for something, a life, I don't know, but then I caught your scent and I came looking for you' _she replied

_'Why weren't you in your true form before'_ the wolf questioned

'_So I don't end up where you are'_ Mahina replied, this wolf, she eyed him carefully, was this the first city he's ever been to? Does he not know the almost natural talent of blending with the humans?_ 'It's easier to get around and in here when you look like a human. You're left alone to live'_ the male growled at her.

_'You're living a lie just so you can die a miserable death in this city'_ he said snarling at her, if it were not for the cage he might have even snapped those lethal teeth at her. Just to safe Mahina sat up and stared down at the wolf not flinching at his anger

"it's what you have to do" she said "If you get out and keep walking around like that I'm positive we'll meet again" she chuckled the last part but the white wolf wasn't at all amused by her words for he raised up as well and snarled even louder at her.

_'Where's your pride as a wolf! Have you given it up?'_ he growled taking Mahina by surprise. She stared at him for a moment before smiling she giggled tucking hair behind her left ear. Pride, she had never heard such a word uttered by one of her kind before. In her travels Mahina had come across the occasional pack but never did any of them speak of pride, all they cared about was the moment, of getting the next meal, of surviving.

"Pride huh? you're funny" Mahina spoke and sat back letting her hands rest behind her back though one trailed gently to her chest over her pulsing heart "I'd willingly give up all the pride in my heart if it means I can live long enough to do what I came to this city to do..." she whispered, the growling stopped and the male look at her curiously before laying back down and sighing.

"Mahina we have to get going!" Cher called opening the door and staring at the girl who sat on the floor and looked back at her.

"Yes. Alright" Mahina said rising to her feet and dusted her clothing off before turning to the door. Cher gave the girl an interested look when she saw Mahina hold a longing look directed at the sleeping dog in the bloodied cage before she hurried toward the door and next to Cher.

"I thought I heard growling, did it wake up?" Cher asked Mahina shook her head

"Oh uh that was my stomach" she said

"Oh well lets go get something to eat then shall we?" Cher said smiling at the young girl who eagerly nodded her head, and they would have been on well their way to getting something eat but suddenly an alarm went off and the walls trembled with a resonating _'boom'_ from somewhere far off but within the building "oh no, not again" Cher said picking up on her pace of walking, Mahina followed.

"What?" she asked

"Thieves, come on we have to go out" Cher said and they both headed out of the building which Mahina wasn't too happy about. She had found the source that has almost driven her mad but there was still something in this building; _she_ was still in this building. Mahina stood outside with Cher and Hubb with her arms tightly crossed in agitation.

"How long is this going to take?" Mahina asked glancing at Cher who eyed her as she directed another glare at the building as if it were the reason she was out here and not the fault of the raiders.

"Why?" she asked

"Huh? Uh well-" Mahina didn't have to answer for her stomach growled loudly making her blush, Cher chuckled.

"that hungry eh?" she said with amusement and Mahina had admit that she was hungry, she hadn't eaten much of anything in the long days she had traveled to get to this dome city, she nodded to the woman but then blinked as something else caught her attention. Out of her side view she saw the boy who had claimed to be from the cleaning crew but who was with them made her turn her head to watch them approach. Another boy with wild brown hair, he wore a leather jacket over a white t-shirt and regular jeans. As they passed Hubb began to itch and soon sneezed. A breeze rolled by after then and with it their lingering scents; Mahina caught the scent of the unknown wild haired boy. Fresh pine and snow but most of all...blood. Mahina gasped but then quickly covered her mouth with her hands not directing attention to herself. She turned around quickly hoping to catch a glimpse of that boy among the crowd of soldiers and lab workers and there he was. The boy looked back at her revealing striking blue eyes, Mahina looked closer, past the illusion she knew was there and found that she was staring into the face of the white wolf she was once talking to. An officer ran out of the building and towards Hubb.

"Sir! That big dog! It's disappeared!" he said

"What?" Hubb yelled before he and Cher ran for the building leaving Mahina to stay as watch in silent wonder as both wolves turned back around and made the long, causal decent down the stairs leading away from the building.

"Mahina!" Cher yelled making the girl jump.

"Coming!" she called running into the building. With Hubb in the lead the three rushed down the long winding halls until they reached the only door that was left open in the otherwise neat hall. To the shock of the two humans the white Wolf was in fact gone. Cher drew in a sharp breath and Hubb cursed as they took in the sight of what was left of the wolf. The cage was covered in blood and two of the front bars were bend out of shape and wide enough for the wolf to fit through. Bloody track from his paws lead away from the cage but once they got to the doorway they disappeared. Mahina couldn't help but smile in relief from her place in the doorway.

"It's gone" Hubb remarked staring at the cage in disbelief "do you think someone might have stolen it?"

"Maybe it escaped on its own" Cher replied with a shrug. A growl of frustration echoed through the room as Hubb glared at the unfortunate officer who had reported the bad news.

"Well don't just stand there!" he yelled at the man "there's a rabid dog on the loose! Get your men and start looking!" the poor officer nearly jumped out of his skin at the command.

"Yes sir!" he said before nearly falling as he fled the room. Mahina stepped out of his way and watched Hubb turn back to the cage with another curse and a loud sneeze.

"Dammit!" he scratched at his skin "the damn dog is gone but I can't stop sneezing!" Mahina couldn't help but look away innocently at this comment, her bad... Pet allergies must suck but she could help it if she was of the canine gene.

"It doesn't matter" Cher spoke coolly, reacting in a calmer manner than her former lover "it's lost a lot of blood so it couldn't have gotten very far and it is a very big dog. Someone will find it and it'll be back here in no time" satisfied by her own conclusion Cher seemingly lost interest and turned away walking calmly to Mahina "come on Mahi"

"Yes Ma'am" Mahina nodded allowing the woman to leave the room before slowly following her down the hall.

"Wait! Cher!" Mahina and Cher glanced back at Hubb as he stepped into the hall after them "where are you going?"

"to the lab" the woman responded arms now nuzzled snug in the pockets of her lab coat "the dog is gone and I have other things to do Hubb" slight agitation hinted in her voice, she had obviously expected this visit to remain professional. Hubb looked from Mahina to Cher and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I was hoping we could go to dinner...you know, talk" the male offered but Cher simply scuffed turning back around and began walking away.

"Goodbye Hubb" she remark with ice in her veins. She walked away without another word and Mahina trailed after her. They walked silently down the many halls "I'll show you what you'll be helping me with here" Cher said to Mahina pushing a large door open.

This room was different from the others; it glowed with a green sort of hue. A smile came to Mahina's face as she caught the scent that danced through the ever so quiet room. She gazed up at the source of the scent. There was a large glass sphere filled with sparkling green water, the floating figure within drew an airy breath... Those slightly parted eyes...there she was.

"This is-"

"Cheza" Mahina interrupted the woman while walked farther into the room until she stood before the glass the hung over her head "I've heard that she existed but I always thought they were just rumors" her crimson eyes never left Cheza's while Cher worked away checking on her vitals. Cheza...Mahina could feel the lovely creature's excitement, it reached out through the glass and water and caressed Mahina's face making her skin prickle much like it had when she met that wolf.

"It's not a rumor" Cher replied not looking away from her work "she's a maiden said to be artificially created from lunar flowers" Mahina didn't doubt it, this room smelt of it that wonderful scent of lunar flower "she's been in suspended animation for many years now but today she sudden showed signs of life"

"Signs of life?" Mahina looked to Cher who nodded gazing up at Cheza.

"Her vitals spiked this morning suddenly with no explanation and she opened her eyes as you can see" the woman explained, this morning? That was when Mahina had arrived in the city, it was also when she smelt the blood of the white wolf...could it be? "You'll be helping me study her, that includes her current vitals and figuring out the reason for her sudden awakening" Mahina didn't answer, slowly she raised her hand and pressed it against the glass staring up at Cheza "she's beautiful isn't she?"

"...yea..." Mahina replied, though Cheza showed no reaction Mahina could feel her excitement. It seeped into her and it was now that she realized that this excitement she had been feeling all this time...it was Cheza. _'Are you excited too Cheza? Do you want to meet the white wolf?'_

* * *

><p>"The moon doesn't shine bright in here..." Mahina mumbled to herself. The wind didn't even come in this dome city even from where she sat atop the tallest building in the center of the city. She sighed inhaling through her nose, this city reeked and it was only her scent, right below Mahina, that made sitting here bearable. The smell of the white wolf wasn't far from the building either, so he hadn't left the city yet huh? "I'm getting closer... Good" Mahina grinned staring up at the moon dulled by the dome that covered the city, she took in another deep breath and sighed again leaning back so she lay across the roof "let's hope we meet again...Great white wolf" she said smiling<p> 


	3. Do you believe in paradise?

**Chapter II:** Do you believe in paradise?

"Anything on her vitals?"

"Spectral radiation unchanged"

"Any response to the test?"

"None just as we suspected"

Cher sighed staring up at the angelic figure floating calmly in the tank of green water in front of them. A calm silence enveloped all working quietly in the room. Mahina too stared up at this mystical being who looked so oblivious to the world around but gave off an aura of being so very aware.

"So she's been awake this whole time" Cher concluded, Mahina nodded slowly though she wouldn't exactly say she was awake. Her eyes remained half opened, unblinking and unfocused. The she-wolf took a few steps closer to the tank allowing the angel within to embrace her with her emotions, she could not see or smell, she could not speak but she knew. Cheza knew of the white wolf's presence in the city and she Mahina was here as well. Like mentioned before, she was aware but that was all.

"She appears to be rather calm now" Mahina replied to Cher closing her eyes not bothering to look at the data, she didn't need data when Cheza so readily let her emotions dance through Mahina's every senses "She's still in fairly an excited state" she said feeling it deep in her heart, the excitement boiling inside Cheza. It was starting to get so strong in her too, Mahina felt, if she didn't compose herself, like she'd start running around with glee. She had found what she came looking for now it was just a matter of how she could get herself and Cheza out of the city without causing uproar before getting a safe distance away.

This building was so tightly locked. Even the staff couldn't get to certain parts of the building if they didn't have the right certification. How could she hope to get Cheza out and not be noticed? It was quite the dilemma and trying to figure it out was beginning to make Mahina's head hurt. She needed to clear her thoughts with a good walk. "Cher" she said calmly making Cher look away from the sample she was studying and look at her.

"yes Mahi?" she asked, the lab assistant approached Cher setting the clipboard in her hands down on the desk before her.

"Do you mind if I take a break and have walk around the city?" Mahina asked there was a silence in the room for a few minutes before Cher nodded smiling.

"Sure Mahi, you have been working all night after all. Besides I'm sure you'd want to get familiar with the city you just moved to. If you find that dog make sure to contact us alright?" she said Mahina nodded stripping off her lab coat and hanging it up.

"Yes Ma'am" she said pulling her hair out of the hair clip that held it up and out of the. Under her lab coat was a black spaghetti strap blouse that held perfectly to her slim form and black jeans with a pair of worn looking shoes. Mahina replaced her lab coat with a grey hoodie lazily pulling it over her shoulders. There wasn't going to be an if she found the 'dog', when Mahina found his distinct scent she would seek him out. It was what Cheza wanted and maybe Mahina would find a way to get the flower maiden out of this forsaken city. "I will be back soon" she said bowing and then walked out of the door.

As soon as she left Cher didn't return to her work like most would expect her to. There was something bothering the woman, it was that dog. Even though there had been just one dog there were bits of fur around the cage that belonged to two other canines. No one had seen these mystery dogs at all but they had been there. Then there was something else...Mahina. She acted so strangely the minute she entered the room and when the dog got away she didn't look surprise... In fact she looked _relived_. She was a strange girl and as a result Cher did not go right back to work when she left instead the others in the room watched her as she walked over to Mahina's lab coat and looked at it to see fur inside the coat.

"Hmm..." Cher stared curiously.

* * *

><p>"The Nobles are at it again it's seems like now a days they take one idiot after another"<p>

"Where do they take them?"

"Probably the same place they took you"

Snow and fresh pine, Mahina inhaled through her nose softly; disgusting human food...they were close. Mahina folded her arms behind her back and she calmly rounded a corner her ears picking up their voices after a long walk of tracking their scents.

A tiny yelp jumped from her side stopping Mahina in her tracks. Slowly she looked to the side at a little pug, man these dogs were tiny! She could eat him for lunch! Like any other dog this one coward at Mahina's presence, its human owner was busy gossiping with another about the wolf or 'dog' that had been caught the day before. She stared at the shaking dog with a blank expression but then quickly bared her sharp teeth in a dangerous grin and snarled at the pathetic little runt. It whimpered and hid behind its owner's legs and Mahina, amused, proceeded on down the alleyway she had turned to.

"That's perfect"

"Huh?"

"I'll blend in and sneak inside"

"What? But we had to fool them just to get out of there! That hotdog fried your brain"

"I'm going back in".

Mahina stopped half way down the alley and quietly leaned her shoulder against the wall. Her eyes found their target and stared at the brunette boy before her with slightly wideness. The boy who was with him sat on some steps nearby and sighed leaning his head back. Neither had seemed to notice Mahina there.

"Wait a minute, what about Paradise!" he yelled, what did he just say? Paradise? Mahina tipped her head ever so slightly when she heard this.

"Look," the brunette spoke "the scent is all over this city but it's mainly located somewhere inside that building and the only way we can get in is to get captured" his company didn't seem to agree, frankly he didn't seem at all interested but Mahina was. This wolf was looking for paradise which meant he was here for Cheza...did Cheza know? Was that why she grew so excited? The brunette stared at his companion hard "you know what's there don't you, what they're hiding behind those walls" he went on and his friend stared at him and then sighed again.

"The beacon that will lead us to Paradise" Mahina finally voiced making the boy sitting down jump and the other turn and look at her.

"You" he said as she walked up to them.

"There's no way you'll get close to Cheza" she informed him leaning her back against the wall when she got close enough to them they both stared at her but Mahina was focused on the brown haired boy before her. His blue eyes were intense to look at.

"Cheza" the brown hair boy repeated Mahina nodded.

"The flower maiden created from lunar flowers" she said

"Listen, it's useless they have that place locked down. Even I could only get as far as the lab" the boy sitting down voiced

"So then why did you try to sneak in there?" Mahina asked, if she recalled right she saw him before her conversation with the white wolf standing before her. The male shrugged his shoulders, his leather dog collar bouncing as he did.

"For a little excitement I guess" the boy replied

"If you really wanted to reach Cheza you would have been smarter than say you were on the cleaning crew" Mahina pointed out watching the rather chubby boy out of the corner of her eye as he watched her from where he sat. Again he shrugged so Mahina lost interest in him, instead she looked to the male standing "I've seen her" she told him before she could stop herself "she's there" his blue eyes reflected his determination at Mahina, that was all he needed to know. The chubby boy grunted mumbling to himself. The two others looked his way.

"Hige don't you believe in Paradise too?" the white wolf asked but stubborn Hige would not budge.

"I'm not going, no way" he said leaving his friend alone in his mission to get back in the building. The white wolf stared at him for moment before turning away from both Hige and Mahina unfazed by Hige's rejection.

"Alright well seeya" he said walking away

"Wait Kiba!" Hige said but Kiba of course didn't stop, he just kept walking away in the direction of the building in the center of the city. Mahina stared after him, so the great white wolf's name...was Kiba, lovely. When Kiba did not stop or address either of the wolves he was leaving behind Hige sighed "give a guy advice and what does it do you, oh well see if I care" he said and then looked back at Mahina "are you here for the Flower Maiden too?" he asked her. Tearing her eyes away from Kiba to Hige the girl stared neutrally at the male.

"...yes...and no..." she said softly looking back in the direction Kiba went.

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Hige asked bewilderedly.

"...well" Mahina tugged her hood over her head and tucked her hands into her pockets "I came here for the Flower maiden... but I found something else" judging by the look on his face he didn't understand but that was okay because Mahina didn't want him to.

"Um...alright..." he said "what's your name anyway?" the female pushed off the wall and walking forward towards the building. She'd had enough of walking and as fate would have it she may have just found a way to get into the building. Perhaps Kiba could help her.

"Mahina" she replied to Hige and took off in a sprint in an effort to catch up to Kiba.

"Hey wait!" Hige called making her stop on one foot spinning on it to face Hige.

"I'm sure we will meet again" she said calmly before turning to face where she was going again and was off. Hige stood up and stared after her as she sprinted away. Man was she pretty, he hadn't seen a female like her in a while... his nose suddenly twitched and he sniffed the air.

"...she smells like Lunar flowers..." he mumbled to himself.

The faded soles of her shoes were soundless against the concrete, if this were a regular human she could have easily snuck up on them, even if were a regular wolf she could have kept herself so quiet that by the time they notice her it would be too late but this wasn't a regular wolf by any standards. Mahina stopped abruptly in her steps when Kiba suddenly stopped walking and turned looking back at her.

"You're following me" he stated but Mahina was too focused on the fact that he _noticed_ her following him so quickly.

"How did you..."

"Your scent is very distinct" Kiba informed her calmly "hasn't anyone ever told you that?" Mahina blinked and quickly shook her head at his question, her scent was distinct? Did he say that in a sense that she, being a female, had a certain scent? She raised her arm to her nose to smell, she couldn't smell anything.

"I don't see enough of our kind to have someone tell me that" she replied with a shrug taking calm strides until she stood besides the white wolf that towered over her slightly. Kiba's eyes never left her as she drew near.

"Why are you following me?" he asked directly to the point.

"Your wounds" Mahina answered softly, rather than look into to blue eyes, that held even more intensity than her own, the she-wolf let her red orbs scan his body. He had been badly injured when she saw him last "I wanted to look at them, make sure you were okay"

"They healed" Kiba replied "it was a full moon last night after all" he had a point so Mahina made no protest. Before she knew it the two of them were walking casually together in the direction of the building. For the most part the walk was quiet, they kept to back alleys instead of the open street with all the humans, Kiba had warned against it saying there was a man with a gun a black dog running around the main streets and it had been this man that cause Kiba to be captured in the first place. When the tall building began casting a shadow over the two a conversation began to form. "You said you saw Cheza" Kiba's voice attracted crimson eyes he kept looking straight ahead as he walked "was finding her what you came here to do?" he was a sharp one Mahina would give him that. With a soft smile she looked ahead as well and nodded.

"I've been looking for Cheza for as long as I can remember" she said recalling the years of constant searching "It's almost like I _have_ to find her. She calls to me, I can feel her emotions like they're my own and I can sense when she is near" crimson met azure as female and male stared at one another and for that still moment a certain understand formed between them though words had been spoken and still wordless they gaze up at the towering building.

"I do believe in paradise?" the question came so suddenly to the calm silence Mahina almost thought that she had asked the question in her head but it was Kiba who had spoken. Without a second thought the she-wolf nodded.

"With all my heart and soul" she replied, whether or not Kiba was satisfied with this answer Mahina did not know but after a long pause she decided it was time to return to Cheza, but first... "You need to get into the building right?"

* * *

><p>"Oh there you are Miss Cher..." Mahina started to say as she stepped into the lab but went silent when she saw the woman was on the phone. Silently she slipped her lap coat on and pulled her hair back up like it had been before. She sat down at the desk beside Cher listening to the conversation from her end.<p>

"We analyzed the dog hairs in the cage and they don't match the ones on the body but there are also two more sets of hair unidentified...as far as we can tell there were three types of hairs around the cage... You okay? You're not acting like yourself. No offense, but I thought you didn't like dogs and to be honest your starting to sound a little bit obsessed..." moments later veins appeared atop Cher's temple as her temper peeked and she hung up the phone.

She had kept herself from telling Hubb that she had found dog hair in Mahina's lab coat and that they matched one of the two unknown sets of hair around the cage. It was strange, the hairs were definitely canine and when you added that to the manner in which the bars of the cage had been bent it was obvious to tell that the dog had friends and they probably helped him escape, but no one had seen three dogs escape the building no one even knew how they got in. Cher certainly hadn't seen them and yet Mahina, who had been with Cher the whole time, had a good amount of fur from one of them all over the inside of her lab coat. Taking this to Hubb would have been the smart thing to do but Cher wanted to figure out why this was how it was on her own.

"You found another dog?" Cher jumped when she heard the voice of the girl she was so deep in thought about. How long had she been there? She turned around in her chair.

"Oh Mahina, it's you" she said calming down Mahina smiled from where she sat next to Cher. She had Cheza's data on her lap and hair was pinned up, she looked as though she never left or had been sitting there a while but Cher had just looked this way a moment ago and she wasn't there... "Did you enjoy your walk?" the woman asked making the strange assistant nod.

"Oh yes very much the fresh air was a pleasant one" Mahina said "this city is very big though, I would have been back sooner but it was easy to become lost and hard to find my way again" Cher chuckled at this nodding her head.

"You just moved here" she said "give it some time and you'll know your way around" but Mahina had stopped listening, her nose twitched ever so slightly and she turned her attention to what Cher was working on. It held the scent of Kiba, Hige, herself and another wolf.

"What are you working on?" she asked tilting her head at Cher

"Hubb showed me a body found from last night's raid, it was a child that fell from the roof trying to escape. We found a large bite wound and dog hair on it"

"Do you think it might have been the dog?" Mahina questioned, she honestly wouldn't put it past that white wolf to attack someone despite his calm disposition. Cher shook her head.

"When I picked up hair from the cage and tested them they didn't match" She answered looking at her test and then at Mahina from the corner of her eye. The girl hummed in response say something about that meaning there was another dog running loose but Cher could only guess that's what she said, her head was turned away from Cher making her words distant and hard to hear, she was looking at Cheza like she often did. "But" Cher spoke up again "I also found two other sets of hair around the cage that also didn't match and when you left I found that one of those sets matched dog hair I found in your lab coat Mahi"

Hair in her coat? Mahina jumped in her seat spinning back around to look at the woman. Damn, she forgot the fact that she did leave hair behind anything that wasn't apart of her human appearance. Still it matter not, it was easy enough to explain away.

"You must have gotten the hair from my dog" she said quickly, Cher looked at her turning her body fully toward her.

"You have a dog?" she asked Mahina nodded.

"Yes, a tiny little thing, she ran off the day I got here I had to find her and carry her home before I came here. Her fur must have come off my cloths on the inside of the lab coat and on the cage when I was examining that white dog" Mahina explained coolly and with a false smile on her face. The two women locked eyes for a long time both trying to find the others deep secrets just by staring. Did Cher suspect Mahina, probably but she would find no further grounds to her suspicions and she wouldn't see Mahina for much longer.

Just wait...

"Maybe you can find something if you look into the data I found from these hairs" Cher finally spoke breaking the silence with a sigh and submitting from their staring battle. Mahina nodded and like usual the two were off to work.

Hour went by and neither woman spoke, just kept working. With the now late hours progressing the lab slowly emptied of its workers one by one until it was just the two of them. Mahina could feel that Cher wasn't going to be able to keep awake much longer which was good, when Cher fell asleep nothing stood in the way of Cheza. She could get the maiden out of here tonight, get her into a lab coat, slip her out of the building and eventually the city and be on her way. Mahina glanced up at the ceiling sitting back in her chair for a moment just spinning in it slowly. All this testing, it was meaningless when you had a higher sense of smell. She knew what three of the four hairs belonged to, that was Kiba, Hige and herself but the last one... The she-wolf slowly turned her eyes to the tray that held this fourth hair; it reeked of smoke and ash, of cargo boxes and gun powder but most of all it reeked of human. Still it was indeed that of another wolf, she still gathered that much from among the numerous other scents, but of course Mahina had little to no interest in the unknown wolf unless he or she had something to do with why she was here but she doubted that. Besides it smelled like they were some sort of pet, they were pretty damn involved with some human group and the she-wolf had no interest in housed trained dogs, they hardly proved useful outside the safety of their homes.

Mahina's eyes shifted from the hair towards Cher slumped over in her seat with her head tucked into her arms deep asleep in her chair. "...she's asleep" Mahina mumbled softly a cunning grin coming to her lips.

"Doctor...Doctor" Cher groaned finding herself being woken up just a short while after she thought she fell asleep but when she looked at her watch.

"Is it that late already?" she mumbled and to the person who woke her. She expected to see Mahina but was taken aback when she met eyes with a lab worker instead, the man who shook her nodded "has there been any changes?" she asked the man of course shook his head.

"there hasn't been any changed for a while now so I thought maybe you should call it a night" he replied Cher sighed and glanced beside her guessing since she handy woken Cher up she'd either see Mahina still hard at work or sleeping as well but gasped as she saw nothing but an empty chair and the girls lap coat on it. "...Where's Mahina?" she said softly.

* * *

><p><em>"You can get me into the building?"<em>

Mahina strolled calmly down a hall, her shoes touched soundlessly on the floor as she walked.

_"Last night a group of raiders hit the building; it seems they've been causing a lot of trouble. They're looking for anyone that might be a part of that gang."_

No one bother Mahina or stopped her as she kept walking. Even though she'd only been here a day her eyes had easily verified her 'employment' in the building, most everyone seem to know she worked for Cher. Most of them actually greeted her as she wandered the halls giving charming smiles in return.

_"So I just have to act like I'm part of that gang, it should be easy enough"_

"I'm here to ask one of your prisoners about the large dog that disappeared yesterday" Mahina addressed the guard blankly "Miss Cher hopes to get as much information as she can so she can continue her work"

"Of course, go right in" the armed man stepped aside allowing the she-wolf to access the door.

"Thank you" she smiled charmingly at him.

_"I've already secured a place in the lab and I have easy access to Cheza. It'll be a little work but I can get you out of where ever you'll be held"_

_"How will you find me? That place is very big"_

_"...your scent is very distinct, hasn't anyone ever told you that?"_

"By the way" Mahina stopped just as the door opened "On my way down I saw a couple of suspiciously looking guys walking about by the elevator. I thought I might inform you" the man became alert at this news; he thanked her and hurried off to the elevators. She could once again hear Kiba and Hige talking about getting out of their prison the minute she stepped in and closed the door behind her.

_"So then what happens then? What's your great plan?"_

"What are you just standing there for Kiba?" Hige's voice questioned quietly "use your awesome teeth and bend these bad boys so we can get out of here" but Kiba was silent in response. She could see him in a cell packed with sleeping humans and he was looking her way ignoring Hige's complaining obviously more aware of her presence than the chubby wolf with him. "Kiba-" Hige faltered, his nose twitched and after sniffing the air he looked in the same direction as Kiba.

_"...Well..."_

From her pocket Mahina pulled a key out and held up for the males to see with a smile on her face.

_"I come get you, we get Cheza and we get out of this trashy dump"_

"Mahina" Hige openly showed his gratitude when he saw her approach the cell.

"Everyone has left the lab" Mahina remarked as she unlocked the cell and let the two out "The only one remaining is asleep, if we hurry we can get Cheza out before anyone can notice" she closed the cell behind them and locked it back up tucking the key back in her pocket just in case. Kiba gave her a brief nod as the three made their way towards the door that's when the lights suddenly went out. "Crap" Mahina mumbled under her breath, was this another raid?...no...no this was different she could hear a faint ringing echoing through the building. A _noble_ was here. "We have to hurry" Hige took off out of the room and down the hall sped down the hall in a full run.

"This way!" he called to them, Kiba looked to Mahina for confirmation and when the she-wolf nodded he took off following Hige with Mahina close behind.

They hurried out of the cell area and down the long, dimly lit halls until suddenly Hige skidded to a stop and then Kiba stopped. Mahina didn't notice this for she had been busy looking behind them to make sure they weren't being followed and so ran into Kiba who stumbled forward a little. The she-wolf clung to his jacket when he did to keep from falling over and looked up at him with heated scarlet cheeks as he stared back at her startled.

"s-sorry" she voice but Hige shushed her, someone was coming down the hall. Mahina inched past the males and glanced down the hall to see it was a lap worker who, to the females luck, had just looked up and spotted her. That was the man that had given her the tour!

"Oh, Miss Mahi! There you are" he said and Mahina jumped shooting her head back quick. She pressed her back against the wall hoping that he just thought he was seeing things but when she heard footsteps she knew he was coming.

"_Dammit_" she grumbled realizing she had just gotten them all caught but as soon as she said that she felt someone tug at her arm. Mahina turned her head to be staring into the azure eyes of Kiba. Behind him Hige was pulling a cover off a vent just his reach. He climbed in and Kiba soon followed and with a little help the slim, much shorter female was hoisted in with them.

Within minutes she was following Kiba and Hige through what felt like miles of ventilation. Dust tickled her nose, cobwebs tangled in her hair and cloths as they Turned corners over and over again almost endlessly until Hige had found a way out they appeared to be outside the building now.

"This way" he called once the last of them, Mahina, landed gracefully on the ground. Hige ran in a direction Kiba followed and since he looked to be going the right way so did Mahina.

She would have followed them back into the building but when they suddenly reached a fork in their path Mahina stopped. A deep throb thundered from inside her and through her body. Something wasn't right at all, her vision blurred before her until all she saw was a hazy vision of upside down halls, strong hands carried her even though she was standing, she could feel fear, and confusion all at the same time and that was when the She-wolf realized it: Someone was taking Cheza and they were close to the person. The vision faded and the world came swirling back it a dizzying spiral until Mahina saw Hige turn down one of the paths and Kiba followed as they passed soldiers out cold on the ground.

"No you're going the wrong way!" she yelled making them both stop and look back at her. Her hair was prickling across her skin now as a sense of panic over came the slender wolf's being.

"What are you talking about" Hige yelled back but Mahina shook her head.

"There's no time! Someone's taken her! It's this way I can feel it!" she called and took off down the opposite way instead of through the path Hige had gone through. _'Cheza!'_ her mind yelled out hoping, praying that the maiden could sense her as well as the she could sense the maiden _'Cheza I'm coming!'_

"What the..." Hige mumbled staring at the space the female once stood and so did Kiba before he took off after her "hey! Kiba wait up!" Hige yelled running after him.

Mahina was far ahead of both of them by this time, She didn't know what was driving her down this way when Hige was going in the direction Chez was being kept but something was tell her to go this way and whatever that feeling was it was right. Mahina skidded to a stop as she looked above to see a man, a human, a _noble _carrying Cheza. Kiba and Hige stopped behind her and stared as well.


	4. No Reason to stay

**A/N:** I own no rights to Wolf's rain as I am sure you all know. I'm just a fan with too many ideas in her head :3 Anyway I'd like to point out that I do have a Tumblr and a formsprings account and the link to both are on my bio page. My Tumblr has OC Bio for the fanfictions I have on this account and sneak peeks of any upcoming fiction I'll be writing in the future. Please visit them I'd love to hear from you guys, oh and Review and fave and follow you guys know the drill I'm sure Onegashimasu!

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><p><strong>Chapter III:<strong> No reason to stay

"…. Wolves" the dark voice of the Noble spoke. Kiba and Hige flinched with surprise while Mahina simply scowled. How dare he take Cheza, he had no right to put his hands on _her_ flower maiden. "You have my gratitude" the Noble went on "for it was you who woke her"

"What?" said Hige

"Who the hell are you?" Kiba barked in anger. The Noble paid him no mind though.

"The flower Maiden, is mine" he said

"Flower Maiden" Hige repeated in a faint whisper. This was the first time either male had seen the maiden so it wasn't surprising that they would be in awe and at a lost for what to do but all Mahina could feel as a deep growl rumbled through her throat was anger.

"Cheza!" she yelled, she broke from the pair charged towards the high bridge the Noble stood upon with Cheza. She would rip his throat out when she reached him, of this she was certain. A bright light shined over head and almost blinding Mahina as she drew closer but she pushed on. She was so close! So close! The noble saw this and just as the She-wolf was close enough to leap up to them he gripped the back of Cheza's neck with a tight grip, her limbs hung as the noble raise her high above him. Cheza's eyes opened wide, tears ran down her face, with her head tipped up the flower maiden opened her mouth wide and she let out a sad, painful cry.

To the human ear this sound did not exist, if any were conscious in the area and saw Cheza they would simply think she had her mouth open but to any wolf, any canine this scream was audible and not only that it was painful to hear. Mahina winced being hit not only by the sound but the maiden's raw emotions as well. It felt like needle stabbed into her ears. Her hear thundered with pain and that scream...that sad scream split the she-wolfs head in two with a pain so great her vision became blinded with white and she couldn't take it. Even though she didn't want to Mahina had to stop and cover her ears to block such a painful sound. Now blinded and frantic she stumbled in her run and dropped to her knees clenching her. The Noble chuckled at the sight of the creature's pain and soon returned Cheza to her original position in his arms.

"We'll meet in Paradise" the nobles voice came to Mahina among her blinding pain "If we meet again that is" and then abruptly it all stopped, disappeared. Mahina opened her eyes slowly once Cheza's cries had faded from her senses and the pain began to ease. Slowly she regained the ability to take in her surroundings and when she did she found Kiba standing beside her staring up at the space where the Noble once was with the maiden.

"…No…" Mahina called out weakly.

Cheza….. Was gone.

Kiba looked at her silently as the she-wolf hung her head in defeat and let her hands drop from her ear to the ground. She was on all four in her human form in a position of broken spirit and submission. The male kneels down beside while around them the power in the building slowly returned room by room.

"We need to get out of here" Hige pointed out jogging up to them "those guards might wake up at any minute" he had a strong point but Mahina couldn't move. She wasn't still in pain no but she just...her limbs felt like heavy tons of iron. Now that Cheza was gone it was like she had no strength to go on. A Noble had her, some vile human had put their hands on Cheza and took her away and with her scent gone Mahina could hardly find energy to raise her head. A hand presented itself to her and with the dwindling strength she had the She-wolf looked up. Kiba was offering her a hand up.

"Let's go" Azure stared into crimson and slowly the female nodded taking the offered had and sluggishly getting to her feet. No longer have need to snoop about the building Kiba lead them to the nearest sewer lid and after popping it open he dropped down into it.

Mahina cringed, was she really about to do this? She looked to Hige who looked as weary as she did before she took a deep breath and leaped.

"Where the hell are we going? Places like this are rough on my delicate nose…."

Mahina sent Hige a slight glare, her right hand pinching her own nose shut like Hige did with his. She didn't have a sensitive nose like Hige but being in a sewer like they were made it almost impossible for her _not_ to notice the stench. Humans were so unhygienic…

"I've got a hunch there's food down here" Kiba replied, Mahina and Hige looked at Kiba who walked ahead of them. "Just a hunch" they had be white wolf and his 'hunch' for a while now. It was a wonder Kiba wasn't bothered by the stench around them. Yards of unspeakable filth and contaminated water rain through these underground tunnels swirling and condensing into a stench that burned Mahina's nose while Kiba simply walked on like it was nothing.

Turns out his hunch was more or less correct. A few minutes and nine sewer rats later the three found themselves sitting in a not so messy area Kiba had also found. It was a much preferred place in these tunnels as it lead to a barred off opening and allowed fresh air to relieve the wolves of their tormented noses.

It was here Mahina sat beside Kiba hugged her legs for warmth. Her eyes gazed from Hige to Kiba a few times; she wasn't sure what she was going to do now… Cheza was gone, her presence was slowly fading farther and farther away and by tomorrow Mahina was sure she would be back to drawing board; wandering aimlessly from city to city until she, usually by luck, caught the scent of Lunar flower or a sliver of the maiden's presence. There was no purpose in staying in this horrid town anymore.

"Looks like that guy stole the only clue we had" Hige spoke in an attempt to start up conversation "and the scent of lunar flowers is gone too…" he only succeeded in darkening the she-wolfs mood.

"Thank you for stating the obvious…" she said glaring at the chubby wolf, Hige grinned nervously at her for a moment before Mahina let out a soft sigh. "I can hardly sense her now…and now that she's gone this city seems to stink so much"

"No, I'm pretty sure it's just the sewers" Hige replied with slight humor in his tone. He wasn't at all bothered by all this like she was. If anything this had been the end of would have been a fun adventure but still proved to be a source of entertainment.

"Hige, he knew about Paradise. That's why he took her" said Kiba ending the chubby males friendly bantering

"Well, then we'll just have to find another flower. She can't be the only one" Hige suggested. Mahina ignored the amber wolf, just find another flower? He said it like they were just scattered across the barren fields around the dome city. It wasn't that easy, that's why Cheza was so heavily guarded; she wasn't just a flower maiden she was _the_ flower maiden the _only_ flower maiden, there were none like her. Mahina turned so she could look at Kiba beside her.

"That man knew us…" she said slowly as Kiba looked at her "He knew what we were the minute he looked at us Kiba…"

"Let's blow this town" Hige went on "come on, let's look for Paradise. The three of us, ya'know?"

Mahina looked at Hige with slight surprise. Since when had she been included with these two wolves' plans? She figured they would part ways now that their common goal was gone.

Traveling with a pack, this she-wolf couldn't even _remember_ the last time she been a part of a pack or if she had _ever_ been a part of one. So many years…. Mahina had been wandering this decaying earth for so long and always she was alone. In fact, it had been so long that it seemed to be all she could remember of her life. There had been times when she tried to conjure a picture of her family in her mind, a pack she might have belonged to a long, long time ago but she couldn't see anything, just sparkling green and those captivating half opens rose eyes of Cheza. All she could remember is always searching for Cheza.

"He'll meet us there. That's what he said" Kiba spoke, Mahina nodded while Hige gained an expression of annoyance.

"He said a lot of crazy stuff! Listen, if you're thinking of going after this guy you're out of your mind! He's a Noble if I ever seen one!" Hige barked out with a long sigh.

"A Noble?" Kiba repeated taking both Hige and Mahina by surprise, even the ever traveling female was aware of nobles! Did this white wolf come down from a mountain or something?

"Oh right, I keep forgetting that you're new around here" Hige mumbled

"They're bad news that all you really need to know" Mahina chimed

"And_ I_ for one am smart enough not to mess around with them."Hige added "trust me Kiba just let it go forget about them…" Hige yawned and slowly laid down curling up to get sleep for the night.

As he fell asleep silence fell upon the pair of wolves still awake. Both were absorbed in their own thoughts to bother with talking to the other. Mahina was still wondering what she would do next. Join up with these two? That was an option she never realized she had. After all it would be considered very rude to think of oneself a part of others when they weren't actually invited to join but then again what if they thought it was just obvious? The she-wolf bit her bottom lip at the very thought. From what she understood these two were also looking for Paradise and Kiba seemed more or less determined that Cheza was the key to reaching that goal. If this was the case then Mahina would run into them again even if she did decide to go off on her own again.

"You're coming too" Kiba's voice broke the female out of her thoughts. She turned her head to him, her crimson eyes meeting his azure ones.

"Huh?" she sounded not sure what he meant an also taken aback by him suddenly speaking to her. He was often very quiet, while they had been walking the sewers he hadn't said a word.

"You're coming with us to Paradise right?" Kiba asked with that mysterious almost blank looking stare "You were here because of Cheza too so you must intend to go there… come with us" Mahina hung her mouth open for a moment but then nodded her head in agreement. Kiba stared back at her for a moment longer before looking down at the sewer water in front of them that flowed between where they sat and Hige laid.

* * *

><p>"Hige I'm not so sure this is the right way…"<p>

"Trust me! I'm sure of it"

"What is he basing this on? Do you know Kiba?"

"His nose I think…"

"I heard that!"

Though it was little, Mahina did find rest in the sewers that night despite the awful smell of the place and with new found light the next morning came. The three wolves moved on trying to find a way out of the city through the sewers. However, as it would seem, this was easier said than done. Mahina was sure they had been wandering around these horrible tunnels all morning and still no sign of an exit. At the moment Hige was climbing up a ladder to a manhole he claimed was right by the exit. Mahina stood beside Kiba staring up at him as he pushed the manhole off with a loud clatter.

"Could you possibly make anymore noise?" Mahina whispered harshly, with the morning following the nobles attack now upon the city it should be expected that the humans would be on high alert looking for the culprit that took Cheza and with Mahina suddenly missing from her post she hardly doubted she wasn't being sought out as a suspect. "If we're not careful we'll be in cages in no time" the she-wolf warned but it appeared Hige was disregarding this as he waved a hand dismissively.

"If anything they'll just mistake us for those raiders and lock us up again" he called down to the two wolves "You still have the key right? We've got nothing to worry about"

"And if I lost the key?" the female questioned putting her hands on her hips, she still had it but really this was just a matter of questioning Hige's logic.

"Then Kiba'll bend the bars back and we'll _still_ have nothing to worry about" Hige replied smirking down at Mahina. She looked to Kiba and he looked to her.

Well...he _did_ bend the bars of his cage back and get out once before he could probably do it again. Still Mahina sighed crossing her arms and looking up at the chubby male above them. He looked around the surface area.

"Uh oh, must have taken a wrong turn…" Hige commented to himself but obviously his two companions caught it. Mahina rolled her eyes and sighed again placing a hand on her hip while Kiba took to climbing the ladder. "Hey! It's one of our own!" Hige said before Kiba gave him a hard shove pushing him fully through the manhole, Mahina followed after him.

"Move it will you" Kiba commented as Hige fell on to the ground above and Kiba began to climb out. "That's the last time I trust _your_ nose"

"Seriously" Mahina voice in agreement. She gripped the side of the hole above her and got ready to hoist herself up only to have Kiba grab onto both her wrist and pull her up. She let out a slight yelp as she quickly found herself seated beside Kiba. There were no exits visible so it was easy to assume that Hige had taken them the wrong way.

"Hey!" Hige barked from across Mahina "Anyone's nose would go numb after a night in that _stink hole_" at this remark Mahina rubbed her own nose ever so slightly, there was some truth to his words even if just a little. Certain Mahina would continue to smell the faint stench of the sewers for a while.

"You guys… you're just like me…"

A softer voice compared to her male company drifted into Mahina's ears and she turned to see what who had spoken. Her crimson eyes caught the sight of a copper little wolf standing among some trash cans, this must have been what Hige meant by one of their own. He was as lanky as Mahina was but it was obvious to the She-wolf that this was a male. The she-wolf frowned slightly as she surveyed the little thing, he was far too young to be off on his own like this, where was his mother? Mahina would have asked the cub this but before the words could find her a shadow loomed over the entrance to the alley they had found themselves in. A Young girl, a human girl, stood at the mouth of the alley holding bags in her arms and her widening eyes had caught sight of the little cub before shadowing over with a familiar look of fear.

"Leera" the cub turned to face her and the human immediately took a step back and her body visibly tensed as she prepared to run away "Don't be scared I won't do anything" The cub called to her and made her stop, what was this pup doing? Mahina watched carefully as she stood up fully going unnoticed by the human whose focus was on the cub. Could he sense her fear? See it in her eyes? "I just wanted to see you again" the cub went on talking "I'm so sorry about your bird" he hung his head in shame.

"Daddy…" Leera spoke sending a sense of trouble rumbling down Mahina's spine. The human spoke again "Daddy…Daddy!" she began screaming and the she-wolfs muscles tightened as the human turned away from them still screaming "Daddy come quick! It's the wolf! The wolf is here!"

"We've gotta get out of here fast" Hige broke everyone out of their stunned and without a second thought Kiba sprung into action taking off down the opposite end of the alley with Hige close behind him.

"Come on!" Mahina yelled reaching out and grabbing the cub by the scruff of his neck and yanking him in the direction that Kiba and Hige had run. The cub seemed to understand because a moment later he was racing behind Mahina as she raced around a corner and sped after the other males wolves.

"This way!" her red eyes caught Hige's upper torso sticking out of a large pipe in the wall of the dead end alley she had just turned to. He waved to her and she wasted no time thinking about if she should follow or not, sure these pipes lead to the sewers but that was a small price to pay in exchange for not being caught. The she-wolf raced into the cover of the large pipe "Where's that runt kid?" questioned Hige almost as soon as Mahina slowed to a stop before him. The runt kid? Did he mean the pup?"

"He was right behind me" Mahina looked back, outside of the pipe, where the alley was, a loud scream echoed followed by the thud of someone collapsing to the ground. Mahina double back peeking out of the pipe and down the alley where the scream had come from, the human girl, Leera, had chased them all down but now sat on the ground cowering away from the cub. "Hey!" the wolf now turned human looked back at her "come on, let's go!" He hesitated but the boy did eventually follow Mahina and after reuniting with Kiba and Hige the four descended back into the sewers, to Hige's disapproval. Usually when they wandered the sewers Mahina was right behind Kiba, his hunches and instincts were proving to be helpful to the she-wolf and so she trust him to lead them in the right direction but right now she was the second to last in the lineup. Behind her the pup whose name she had yet to learn tried to keep up with the groups haste walking.

"Hurry up runt" Hige called back to the pup.

"I'm not a runt!" the pup snapped in offence "my name is Toboe!" Toboe was his name then? This young wolf held no scent of any other on him beside the scent of humans and Mahina couldn't help but shake her head at this fact. Toboe had probably never spent a day of his life with other wolves which mean he didn't have a mother…

"That's cool" Hige replied in a friendly manner in response to Toboe tell them his name "I'm Hige" the chubby male motioned to himself before pointing to Kiba in front of them all "And that there's Kiba, and this lovely lady's name" from among the stench of the sewers Hige's scent wafted into Mahina's nose and she tensed as the male wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close while introducing her "is Mahina" he grin at her in a flirtatious manner but Mahina growled jerking out of his hold.

"Too touchy" she warned the chubby wolf before taking a couple of quick steps until she was walking beside Kiba. Hige, she didn't know the chubby wolf well enough to let him that close to her, she wasn't very fond of touching. Hige chuckled sheepishly at her actions.

"Where are we going anyway?" asked Toboe still in the back of the line.

"The exit of course" Hige replied

"We're going to Paradise" Mahina corrected Hige giving the smart ass of a wolf a stern look.

"Paradise?" Toboe leaned to the side so he could get a better look at Mahina who nodded "…hey, do you guys know Tsume?" the three older wolves looked back at Toboe curiously. Mahina raised an eyebrow at the pup.

"Tsume?" she repeated

"The guy with the scar on his chest?" Kiba questioned from beside Mahina. Toboe smiled brightly and nodded his head in confirmation.

"That's Tsume!" he chirped

"What about him?" Kiba asked bluntly taking Toboe by surprise, the pup looked down at his feet.

"Well" he said "He's one of us so… I thought he might want to come too"

"Do you know where he is?" Mahina questioned turning to fully face the pup in curiosity. Tsume must be that other wolf Cher had found the fur of on the body of some child, the house pet. Even now the female lacked any interest in this male wolf that Toboe spoke of and this was made no better when the youngest of them slowly shook his head indicating he didn't know where this Tsume was.

"...No" he said "we got separated..."

"Sorry kid but it's too late to go back for him" Hige shrugged at the kid and though Mahina wouldn't have worded that the sane way she did agree with him, they didn't have time to comb the city for a house pet and if the she-wolf had her way they wouldn't even bother with it. House pets were useless outside if their cages even if he was a wolf he was no better than a mange mutt of a dog. However Toboe knew him so she might as well show some concern even if it was fabricated concern.

"What is he your friend?" she question curving a slender brow slowly until it formed a perfect arch. Again Toboe shook his head.

"No" he answered quickly before returning his gaze downward "It's just that..." his sentence found no end and Hige shrugged at this.

"So? Then ditch him" he told the pup as he turned round and brushed past Mahina to continue walking. It took Toboe a second but he soon followed suit. "Shake a leg runt" the older wolf called over his shoulder

"It's Toboe" the pup snapped brushing past Mahina with quickened steps in an attempt to keep up with the chubby wolf. The female chuckled lightly at this, the little cub shows promise. She trailed after the young wolf down the path of the sewer only to be called back.

"Stop" Kiba's calm voice stopped the group in an instant earning curious looks as they looked back at him. He stood by a ladder that lead to the surface that the other three had passed without a second thought. Were his instincts telling him something again? Mahina wondered...

"What is it?" she questioned but received no reply from the white wolf. Kiba simply looked up at the light coming from the surface and climbed the ladder up to the surprise of the others. Rather than question Kiba very questionable instincts the rest followed him out of the sewers and slowly, carefully along the back roads of the city. While Toboe and Hige took of the rear bickering with one another Mahina walked beside Kiba with her hands buried deep in the pockets of her jacket.

The white wolf she walked beside, yet slightly behind in what could be called a natural form of submission, said nothing to her at first and for the first half of the walk that didn't both the she-wolf at all. She enjoyed the stillness between them feeling no sense of awkwardness in Kiba's obvious lack in social skills.

He must be like Mahina, a packless wolf, a lone wolf spending most of life traveling long distances either by choice of lack of their own kind to be found. Hell, if it were not for the occasional pack Mahina sometimes came across she might lack the ability to socialize with any general creature.

So the sun began to set outside the dome painting the sky a deep orange, still they walked.

"So..." crimson eyes shifted to gaze at the white wolf "are we following instinct at the moment?"

"We're following a scent" Kiba answered plainly earning a twitch of curiosity. A scent? But whose? Tipping her head upward Mahina sniffed the air and easily caught the smell of blood. Why were they following this scent? Weren't they supposed to be leaving? Mahina fell silent trusting the male rather than questioning as night began to rise upon them and they entered a rancid area just outside of the city. The scent of blood lead the four of them, Kiba, Mahina, Toboe and a complaining Hige, into one of the many building. Up a flight of steps they went and down a hall until they found a door where the scent was strongest.

"Man this place reeks" Hige complained as Kiba opened the door and they all piled into the room "Why'd you bring us here Kiba?" the white wolf didn't have to say the reason because as soon as Toboe entered the room he perked up because of what he saw.

"Tsume!" the pup chirped happily.

Mahina scrunched up her nose at the stench in the air, that smell of ash and gun powder she was already familiar with. This was the wolf, the house dog. He stood taller than her with silver hair, he was a muscular being and he had an X shaped scar on his tan chest. Beyond the illusion stood a large grey wolf though Kiba was slightly larger in comparison. He didn't look as pleased to see Toboe as he was to see him. In fact, he looked pissed.

"I could smell the blood from your wound" Kiba informed the male blankly "I could smell it all the way from town"

"And what?" snapped the deep voice of the grey wolf he tensed up where he stood and glared at the group "You're going to nurse me back to health? Forget it I don't need your help" Mahina sighed glancing out the nearest window of the abandoned building; they were running short on time...did they really have to have this grouchy male come?

"Tsume" Toboe tried to reason with the male "We're all leaving town, you should come with us" the suggestion eased the heated glare that came to Tsume's face but his tone still held a threat when he decided to speak.

"Really?" he arched a brow "And where is this happy band of yours going?"

"To paradise" Kiba answered simply earning a nod from Mahina but a snort from Tsume.

"You've got to be kidding; you're going with him because you believe in that crap?"

"It's not like it matters if you come or not" Mahina spoke up trailing delicate hands down her sides until they rest upon her hips and she sent the grey male a bored look "it's just a friendly offer, we don't need a domesticated house pet tagging along eating up food and being useless" a snarl echoed through the rundown room as it rumbled through the throat of the insulted wolf but Mahina wasn't intimidated.

"What was that?" Tsume growled at her.

"You heard me" the she-wolf replied coolly, she wasn't backing down from her words, she meant them. She thought a domesticated wolf was useless to them and the only reason she wasn't calling Toboe useless was because she still considered him a pup and pup need guidance not isolation. Tsume snarled at her daring attitude and in reaction Mahina felt her fur prickle in anticipation of a fight "you want to prove me wrong house pet?" she taunted the male and she was sure they would have had at it but a arm extended out before the hyped up female making her falter.

"Mahina" Kiba turned his head to the she-woman; though his face was calm those eyes of his, those piercing blue eyes, were stern enough to tell her to stand down. Mahina fell silent turning her head away from the male and tightly crossing her arms.

"Look" Hige jumped in before the wolves around him could grow anymore hostile. He had his back firmly pressed against a wall just beside one of the windows "I don't mean to interrupt but a nasty stink is coming this way..." he was right, now that she wasn't focused on Tsume she could catch the faints of stenches, one only a human could produce. The other seem to catch it as well now.

"We're surrounded" Tsume informed them.

"Tsume" Toboe tried again to reason with the grey male "If we stay here we'll have to stay in hiding or worse... We just can't live with the humans anymore and survive..." the pup had a point but still Tsume made no moves to agree to join them and this on its own drew agitation from the female among them.

"Let me ask you something" Kiba broke the silence "why did you guys come to this city? It was because of the flower scent wasn't it?" no one made a sound of protest to the question "well it's gone now, there's no reason to stay"

"The flower has nothing to do with it" Tsume protest stubbornly "I'm here because I belong"

"This city is a dump" Kiba expressed earning a glare from the fellow male. From his place beside the window Hige groaned.

"Come on" he spoke sensing an impending fight "we don't have time for this" but he went ignored, Tsume approached the white wolf still not buying their plans to run to paradise.

"when I saw you last you were going on about how your pride wouldn't allow you to pass off as a wolf" the grey wolf looked Kiba over once before snorting lightly "you look pretty damn human now, where that pride go?"

"..." a tense silence came to the group as they all awaited Kiba answer "No where...nothing's changed"

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><p>Mahina's ears rung loudly with the sound of bullets bouncing off the metal surface of the long pipe she zoomed across. Ahead of her Kiba took the lead, these human were trying their hardest to stop them as they made their retreat but their efforts were futile, even in a form like this wolves were formidable foe. A bullet grazed the pip she ran along just inches from her feet and spark flew before her eyes. The she-wolf yelled loudly stumbling back and using her arms to shield her eyes from the bright flash. The sound of her cry halted Kiba and made him glance back at her.<p>

"I'm fine!" she barked "Go on! I'll catch up" she wanted to take care of these pest first and so without another word to the white wolf Mahina turned tail and dove off the pipe.

"Mahina!" she heard the pup cry out and Hide soon followed suit watching with wide eyes as the female zoomed past him like a hawk dropping from the sky.

"Mahina what are you doing?" he yelled hoping she'd come to her senses before it was too late. Mahina didn't reply and she made to attempts to catch herself as she dropped from the sky and down towards the humans shooting at them from below.

"Keep moving!" Kiba called and took off running again.

Adrenaline rushed through Mahina's veins as she squinted her eyes against the wind that howled across her falling frame. Her raven hair whipped about her fair face as she seemed to pick up speed.

_"Do you know what leaving this city will mean?" the conversation between Tsume and Kiba rung throughout the she-wolf's mind_

_"Yea..."_

_"You'll just die"_

Hot metal grazed flesh and a slight sting came to Mahina's right cheek from the bullet that broke the skin there and drew small trickles of blood but still this didn't not dieter her. With the ground now hurtling closer to her the female bared her teeth and snarled. She shot off like a rocket as soon as the pads of her paws touched the ground; they took her across the distance with amazing speed until she was right upon the shooting humans and their guns.

_"Everything eventually dies or is killed, that's a natural part of life..."_

A still moment, a single second in time everything paused between the she-wolf and the humans. In that one second expressions of fear touched their paling faces as Mahina snarled dangerously at them. A few of them yelled in terror and most of them began shooting at her without aiming. The female easily averted the bullets letting them pass her slender form and embed themselves into the ground below before she charged with furious growls and snapping teeth.

_"To die while reaching for something, to be killed for a goal..."_

Yells and screams of pain echoed through the area as Mahina's teeth chomped down on limb after limb. She made no discriminations between fingers and hands and arms and legs, just so long as the human she attacked dropped their weapon and all of them did so that they could cradle their wounds. In a matter of minutes the lanky she-wolf was looming over a gang of humans writhing on the ground clutching their wounds but otherwise alive.

_"It's better than living without a purpose; if you do you're dead already."_

Suddenly Mahina's platinum eyes were blinded by pure white light. It pained her vision and she had to turn her head away just to spare her eyes the throb they felt right now.

"What is that?" the humans behind the blinding light muttered "Is that the dog that escaped a couple of days ago?"

"It's bigger than any dog I've seen, it must be! What do we do?"

"Shoot it! It's killing our men!" a gun was cocked, the sound bounced within Mahina's erect ears and a snarl of a warning shook the females throat. Bullets were flying again and just as Mahina made a hard leap away another bullet grazed her, black fur fluttered through the air as the female ducked into a tunnel and disappeared within the shadows. The humans preside her of course stomping their feet loudly through the tunnels but try as they might they won't find her or at least not in the form they saw her in.

With one hand clutching the tear in her jacket by her left shoulder and the other tightly held over her mouth Mahina kept as quiet and as still as she could which the men's stomping faded in the distance.

"Not so tough now are you?" Mahina became stiff when she heard this deep voice echoing through the tunnel. From the darkness she hid within the female spotted Tsume entering the tunnel calm as ever. "I can smell it, your blood"

"They only grazed me" Mahina shot back defensively. She released her shoulder and revealed untouched skin "What are you doing here?" the question floated from her lips as she stepped out of the shadows and stopped before grey male, Tsume smirked at her.

"I should be asking you the same thing" he said, crimson eyes narrowed and a dangerous snarl rattled the echoing tunnel "what happen? Did the white one deem you useless?"

"Go back to your cage house pet" Mahina spat at the male "I'm sure your owners miss you" she should get moving, they might have found the exit already and once they made it outside the done it would be a matter of minutes before Mahina lost their scents. She turned away from the grey wolf and briskly began walking away from him, he didn't want to come? Fine by her, he would have been a pain anyway.

"Why do _you_ believe in paradise?" his deep voice halted the female. Why did _she_ believe in paradise? That was a good question, a question she had never been asked before. Why _did_ she believe in paradise? Mahina stopped walking and stared blankly ahead keeping her back to Tsume as she thought deeply about it.

"...because it keeps me going, it stops me from getting too comfy around humans and..." locks of raven fluttered and swayed as the female closed her eyes and tipped her head upward. Deep within her being she felt herself reaching out into darkness, blindly reaching out and just barely, faintly brushing her finger tips against such a soft presence, her presence. Cheza. "Because I've seen the key" Mahina finished her sentence, the tunnel quieted down after her words and the two wolves stood in it for what felt like a long time until Tsume sucked his teeth loudly.

"Whatever" he grumbled, his footsteps echoed through the hallowed area until the male brushed past Mahina and walked in the direction she had been heading in. The she-wolf blink at this.

"So you'll be joining us?"

"Screw the journey" Tsume rudely replied to her as he continued to walk in the direction the others had run to "Paradise can kiss my ass...I'm just...tired of this place." curving a brow Mahina trailed after the grey male keeping a safe distance from him "It was time to move on anyway"

"..." she wasn't sure what to say, Tsume sounded sullen when he said those words like the thought of giving this up was tearing at him. These humans he had been with, what were they to him? The silence between the two wolves as they walked was a awkward one in comparison to the one Mahina had with Kiba so rather than bear it the she-wolf spoke up "then get moving" she told the male before she became light on her toes soaring over the land until she landed gracefully on a ledge over looking where Tsume stood "Or would you prefer to remain a house pet?" in response to her taunt Tsume snarled and leapt after the female as she took off after the retreating scent of the others. The two of them ran with the sounds of bullets dancing through the air behind them.

It didn't take Mahina long; she smelled their unique scents long before she heard their voices. With Mahina in the lead the pair charged out of one of the numerous tunnels they had been running through for the past few minute and there, standing atop the ruined walls of the dome cities border, waiting for her. The she-wolf wasted no time leaping up to join them but behind her Tsume stopped.

"Tsume!" Toboe openly cheered while a look of relief washed over Hige's face and he sighed upon seeing Mahina land gracefully before them.

"You made it!" he chirped to her "thank goodness! I thought they had gotten you back there!" the chubby wolf reached out and lightly patted the females shoulder in what manner Mahina could safely assume was friendly and caring, she stiffly returned the gesture with an uncertain smile.

"It was a distraction" she informed him calmly "so you guys could get away safely"

"You're bleeding" Hige's eyes flickered to the cut on Mahina's face, it was a small one that had stop bleeding minutes after the wound was inflicted and left a thin train of red down the females face. She casually wiped at the crimson life force and shrugged her shoulders.

"This is nothing" she told him

"This way" Kiba's command ended the conversation and just like that the five wolves were off again leaping from ledge to ledge barely letting their shoes round a soils surface too longer before they pushed off it to reach the next.

Up and up and up they went along the border of the dome city until finally the top of the wall was reached and the five wolves had crossed over and away from the protection of the dome. The wind was none to kind to them when they're bodied greeted it, it incased them in snow that, if their human skin were real, would have stung with how fast it was begging blown. Even so Mahina embraced the harsh weather like an old friend letting the fresh air gallop into her nostril and whip across her frame. No sooner did she embrace the cold did the ground vanish from under her as she was sailing downward after Kiba towards the snow cover ground. The white wolf landed with ease and Mahina stumbled about the chilly ground beside him. Hige followed behind her having no problem staying steady on his feet and Mahina expected Toboe to land right after but there was nothing. The three looked up to find that the pup had hesitated in jumping.

"Hurry up Runt!" Hige yelled out "jump already!"

"I was getting ready to!" Toboe snapped back from above "Don't-" whatever the pup didn't want them to do became unknown as Tsume appeared behind him and delivered a stern kick to the cub's rear. With a startled yelp Toboe was sent down towards them with limbs flailing the whole way. Mahina stepped forward, opening her arms wide and accepting the full force of the pup as he clumsily landed. Taken off guard by the force the two tumbled to the snow with united grunts.

Tsume was all that remained. As if he were still weighing the option of leaving he stayed up there just staring down at them. Even as sirens blared and shots were fired he stood still as ever.

"...are you scared?" Kiba called up after they waited a moment for the grey wolf to jump on his own.

"Yea you wish" was the reply and with that said Tsume jumped.

* * *

><p><em>'...They say there's no such thing as Paradise. You can search to the ends of the earth and you will fine absolutely nothing'<em>

One labored breath after another dragged from her lungs as she pushed herself on, the howling wind fought her slim frame trying hard to deny her the right to run on. Nostrils flared and deep pants pushed out clouds of frozen breath. Her tail was straight up in the air as she ran tainting the untouched snow with her tracks.

'_There's nothing there, no matter how far you walk it just goes on and on. You walk that endless path until you die hopeless'_

After miles upon miles of running the wind settled and the snow gently sank from the clouds overhead. No longer battling the elements she pushed on harder digging her paws into to the ground and pushing off with all her might. She kept right behind the great male that took the lead. Under the moonlight that peeked through the clouds his white fur shimmered.

_'But... Only the wolf can find Paradise. We are the ones meant to reach it, in this decaying world only we can seek out the flower that will take us there.'_

Skidding to an abrupt halt she turned her head back. Far off in the distance the dome city shined dimly in the night, from it only the scent of death and decay remained. She stayed like this staring at the city and wondered briefly what would become of Cher now that her life's work was gone. The shimmering coats of amber, copper and grey whizzed by her taking her from her brief thought and with one last look she raced after the four wolves as they began their journey.

_'I know that there is a paradise, deep in my heart I know. I've seen the key, I've felt her presence, I've smelled her scent and I know her name. Cheza...she's waiting'_


	5. The House pet's issues

**Thanks you Tallulahthewildgirl for reviewing! Very much appreciate it!**

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><p><strong>Chapter IV:<strong> The house pet's issues

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><p><em>Fire.<em>

_Hot flames whipped and curved from all around. It licked the trucks of the surrounding trees and colored them a burned black. Embers burst free from the inferno setting anything it touched a blaze._

_Hot, it was so hot._

_She wanted to escape, needed to escape but she couldn't yet. Soft whining and cries reached her ears and in the fiery glow she could see four little bundles of fur within the den she stood in the mouth of. Four quivering newborns. A loud snarl and the sound of snapping teeth, among the wall of flames she could make out a tall white female wolf standing with tail erect and fangs bearing in a threatening to the tall human she faced off with. The female charged and a loud bang rang out. Copper scent grazed her nose and she knew something was wrong._

_No, No!_

"No!" with a startled yelp Mahina sprung from her sleep rising from where she lay as motion finally returned to her limbs. A quiver of fear ran along her spine causing shaky breaths to fill her lungs while she tried to steady her heart beat. The surround woodlands held no orange glow of fire and no searing heat licked at her frame. She was...safe? Crimson eyes darted about for something, anything, familiar but found none. It was just cold, empty woods but what was this? Soft fur nuzzled against Mahina's side earning her attention.

Curled up tightly beside the she-wolf was the copper colored wolf Toboe fast asleep and undisturbed by Mahina's sudden motion. At the sight of the young wolf Mahina felt her muscles relax from her recent fright and her alert features soften. She ran a pale hand across the pup's fur. That's right, now she remembered. She had left that dome city behind with the hope of pursuing the human, a vile noble, that took Cheza and getting her back. Mahina wasn't alone in her efforts either. No, she had little Toboe here and three other wolves name Tsume, Hige and Kiba. Tsume and Hige for the most part just seemed to be tagging along and Toboe had nowhere else to go but Kiba... The white wolf of their group was just as determined to find Cheza as Mahina was.

As soon as they lost sight of the falling city Kiba took lead of their group leading the group for what felt like endless miles. They ran through brightest day and darkest night, through peaceful and stormy weather. Only a day had gone by since they set off and already they had traveled such a distance that the very landscape changed from barren fields to lonely woods. It was amazing; Kiba truly was a natural born pack leader. Mahina paused after this thought and her fingers stopped running along Toboe's fur.

"A pack" she muttered softly to herself "...what does being in a pack feel like?... Is this a pack?"

"You can consider us that." a voice came from the distance, Kiba appeared from the thick brush that surround them and protected them from view. Where he had been Mahina would not question or at least not at the moment "we're traveling together, we have the same goal"

"I doubt we're all traveling together for the same reason" Mahina spoke softly shifting her gaze to the two wolf's a little ways away sleeping a safe distance from one another "Tsume doesn't appear to have much desire to find paradise and Hige... He might but it's not much" the she-wolf looked back at Kiba as he stopped beside her and sat down "not like you"

"They do" Kiba replied calmly "they could feel it too, the pull that draws us to Cheza. They just don't know what it is" Mahina allowed a brow to curve when the white wolf said this to her, he didn't look at her when he said it. He stared ahead of him as if he were seeing across the miles to wherever Cheza was right now.

"And what if they don't have that feeling" Mahina asked curiously "what if they don't believe in paradise at all and find our journey...ridiculous?"

"No one's stopping them from leaving" Kiba answered bluntly. A curve came to Mahina's lips and a chuckle soon followed.

"Some pack we are" she commented though she could not say if her words were true considering she'd never been a part of a pack before. She had to say being around other wolves like this...it was nice. The she-wolf sighed relaxing herself and letting her head find its way to Kiba's shoulder. The white wolf made no motion to stop her or get her away so she assumed he didn't mind the contact. "I can still feel her faintly" she told Kiba "I can smell it a little too...the scent of lunar flower"

"...Yea...so do I" Mahina watched the male as he tipped his head up and looked up at the sky, the moon wasn't directly above them anymore and the sky was slowly getting lighter.

Day would break soon.

* * *

><p>When the sun rose on the second day the wolves started traveling again and this time they didn't stop for two days straight. Whether they were running or walking they didn't stop for those two days. Kiba lead them through sandstorms and scorching desserts and blizzards until finally the storms became too much and they had to take refuge in a small den to escape the merciless storm and wait until it died down before they could continue.<p>

Mahina leaned against the wide mouth of the den across from Kiba just watching the snow being blown by. Behind her Toboe and Hige complained to each other.

"I'm so hungry" the amber wolf groaned.

"How long has it been since we last had anything to eat?" inquired Toboe

"Well, we left the city about three days ago" Hige answered with another long groan "so I'd have to guess about three days"

"When do you think we're gonna fine some food?" Toboe asked

"I don't know" Hige remarked "another three days?"

"Quit your whining" Tsume growled no longer holding the patience to tolerate the complaining a moment longer "It's just been three stupid days"

"We'd have something to eat if we never left the city..." Toboe complained, from her place Mahina rolled her eyes. These city wolves honestly, go without food for three simple days and they're certain they're going to die. Boy did they have a lot to learn.

"We can last a lot longer if we bask in the moonlight" Kiba interrupted the complaints with this comment, basking in the moonlight did that? Mahina gave the male across from her a curious glance "I once traveled a whole month by doing that" the white wolf informed them.

"What?" Hige roared in horror at the very thought of not eating for a month. "You can't be serious!"

"When you spend most of your time out here" Mahina spoke up now keeping her gaze out at the now calming storm "you quickly realize how scares food can be. You find ways to survive for a long time just in case you don't find a good hunt for months"

"Months?" Hige whined, just by hearing his voice Mahina could see the dread washing over his face "go without eating for months?"

"The storm will settle soon" Kiba ignored Hige's complaining "The moon will be out then" so they would be basking. This fact actually disappointed the she-wolf just a bit; the thrill of a good hunt would not be frowned on after three long days of endless running.

"Well if worse comes to worse we could always eat each other" Tsume suggested, again the female rolled her eyes but Toboe and Hige made noises of fear "We can start with the runt because he's gotten so weak and then there's always porky" he was joking, Mahina was certain he was, but the thought of him even joking about harming the pup forced a snarl up Mahina's throat. She sent the male a furious glare that he snorted at "or we could eat you though you're a little scrawny" scrawny? Offended, the she-wolf grunted and turned back to face the calmer storm.

"Why isn't Kiba on the menu?" Toboe poured at the grouchy grey wolf.

"That's easy, because he totally full of crap" Tsume answered sending Kiba a glare but it was simply returned with a blank look from the white wolf. The air became tense in the wide den. It was nothing new really, for the past three days Tsume had been doing this and it was honestly a matter of time before Mahina picked a violent fight with him. He...agitated her.

"I'd rather be scrawny than a husky house pet" she informed him "you won't last long"

"What was that?" the grey wolf snarled

"You heard me"

"Come on guys, stop it." Toboe jumped up from his seat and stood between the growling wolves "You're both only saying that because you're hungry!" Mahina wasn't hungry; she'd gone longer strands on time without food three days was nothing. She was just sick of Tsume.

"Saying it because I'm hungry?" Mahina snorted loudly "I mean every word I said"

"M-Mahi" Toboe cast the female a nervous look before Tsume snarled even loudly.

"You know missy I'm really getting sick of that attitude of yours" the grey male growled at Mahina but she wasn't at all intimidated by the action. With her arms tightly crossed she turned away from the snarling male without so much as a change in expression.

"Is that so?" she questioned "no fur off my pelt" she shrugged her shoulders "Be better off without you…house pet"

"Mahina" Toboe groaned out but before he, or anyone else within the den for that matter, could say anything else Hige suddenly sprung to his feet and without a word to anyone took off running from the den and out into the now calmer, snow filled plains. An elegant brow curved at this action as she watched the chubby wolf get farther and farther away from them with a surprising speed. What was it? Did he smell something? Curious, Mahina took off after the husky male and soon after she heard the snow crunching behind her.

Hige lead them through the snow and down the high mountain they had been rest on. They walked until patches of dry earth could be seen through the snow and the clouds parted enough for the sun to come through. It peeked down at them almost as if it too were curious to what the amber wolf was running towards. Finally they reached a hillside and that was where Mahina caught the smell and saw in the distance the source.

Hige loomed over the dead carcass of a caribou. Flies scattered when Hige drew close enough and when Mahina slowed to a stop right behind him the stench of the dead animal cut deep. The she-wolf held a hand over her nose at the smell and surveyed the remains. It looked like it was only skin and bones and judging by the smell of it the poor thing had been laying here for a few days. It wasn't much but it was a hell of a lot better than going without food for another three or more days, Toboe and Hige couldn't last that long.

"You could smell this?" the female questioned as the others caught up to them. Hige looked back at her and nodded "all the way from the mountain top?" again Hige nodded his head tipping his head up with pride.

"I told you, didn't I?" the wolf boasted as Mahina kneeled before the carcass looking it over for any parts that were no good to eat. "This nose of mine can sniff out just about anything for miles!"

"Really now?" Mahina grinned at the proud male "that's one powerful nose you have..." she reached out a hand to Hige even as he gave her a startled looked and the flesh of his human illusion turned red in a faint blush. Her delicate fingers ghosted brushed over the male's nose once or twice and the she-wolf laughed lightly "good job, Hige's nose. Thank you so much for finding us some food" she praised on chuckling in a playful manner before drawing back.

Hige stared at the female stunned as she turned her attention back to the dead animal before them. In the wake of her touch a subtle, sweet scent danced about the male's nose and it was this that left him so stunned.

One could never catch it well unless they were very close to Mahina, not even Hige's sensitive nose, but the she-wolf had a distinct scent. He was sure the others had picked up on it too, Toboe had commented on how nice the smell was but Hige couldn't pin it down to an exact thing. Maybe it was a sort of flower, maybe it was just the remaining scent of Cheza on the she-wolf Hige might never know, but he knew one thing and that was when he smelled that scent he felt more at ease than usually. Heh, maybe that's why the runt seemed to latch onto Mahina already.

"I wonder where it came from" Toboe commented from beside Mahina "It's out here on its own"

"It was probably separated from its herd" Mahina guessed aloud as Hige leaned in even closer to get a better smell "Without it's herd it wondered until it starved and died here I guess" how it got there and why it died didn't matter now, it still had some meat left on it enough for the five of them to share a bit among one another.

"You're really going to eat that thing?" Tsume, who kept a safe distance from the rotting carcass, questioned with disgust.

"Well yea" Hige replied the obvious but Mahina wasn't surprised by Tsume's words.

"Leave him be" the female remarked "He's not use to eating things like this, if the house pet wants to go a few more days until we reach a city with human food let him" she waved a hand and gently patted Toboe on the head "eat up, you'll need to keep your strength" she informed the pup after so calmly insulting the grey wolf behind her. Toboe smiled slightly and nodded and the two of them joined Kiba and Hige in eating.

"...it's not so bad" the pup commented after a few bites "it's pretty good actually and it's only a little tougher than hamburger meat" both he and Mahina exchanged smiles before eating on. It wasn't the grand hunt the female had been hoping for but it was a meal. "Come on Tsume have some!" Toboe chirped to the grey wolf "we still have a long ways to go"

"And just where are we going?" Mahina sighed when Tsume said this, he always seemed to want to question the reason they were following Kiba. Whatever happen between the Grey and White wolf had definitely left Tsume with distaste for Kiba; following to the unknown only made it worse. The four feasting wolves stopped to glance back at the grouchy male "in the direction you smell a flower?" Tsume asked mockingly. Not to be discouraged Toboe looked to Kiba.

"Tell us Kiba, what's it like?" the pup asked "what does paradise look like?"

"It's a wonderful place" commented Hige while he continued to stuff his face. Both Toboe and Mahina turned their heads to look at the male. Any wolf who knew of paradise questioned if it were real or not, most didn't know what it was like there not even Mahina herself knew what to expect if she ever found paradise. How could he sound so casual describing a place no one had ever seen? "The flowers are always in bloom" the chubby wolf described it "and there's food everywhere. Oh and not mention babes..." even though Toboe's face shined brighter than the dome city they had left three days ago Mahina pulled a face. And here she thought for a second that Hige really knew what he was talking about...

"Really? You really mean it?"

"Sure! Well..." Hige grinned sheepishly "At least I hope so..."

"You don't know" Pouted the young pup.

"Paradise is just an old fairytale, an idiots dream" drawled Tsume from behind them; really his optimistic outlook just over shined everyone else's at times like these.

"We'll never know unless we try" Toboe tried to smooth out the confrontation that was sure to come with Tsume's annoyance. The grey wolf wasn't buying the pups words, in fact hearing them seemed to anger him more.

"How long are you going to let this guy string you along to a place that doesn't even exist to begin with?" he questioned with a snarl. The taunts and words of the male made Mahina's blood boil over but it did no such things to Kiba. If the white wolf was angered by Tsume he made none aware of it. He stared at Tsume with that same expressionless look he always had and that ticked Tsume off even more.

"That's it, I'm sick of you losers, I'm out of here" The angry wolf turned on his heel and descended the hill they rest upon. Toboe sighed at this action.

"Just where do you think you're going all by yourself?" inquired Hige arching a brow at the retreating wolf.

"To look for hell I guess" Tsume replied sarcastically earning a snort from Mahina before he lost her focus. Fine by her, so far as she was concerned he had been slowing them down anyway and she surely would _not_ miss his presence in their group. Toboe however…

"Tsume wait!" The pup stood up "come on, we just made some new friends!"

"Go play with your friends somewhere else" Tsume replied coldly.

"Suit yourself" Kiba's cool voice stopped the wolf in his retreat, he glanced back at them "But remember" the white wolf warned "those set of rules you have don't apply way out here" true to his word Kiba wasn't planning on making Tsume stay even if it was dangerous for their kind to be traveling about on their own.

"You know smug kids like you really piss me off" The grey wolf growled before he faced forward again and kept walking despite Toboe's calls for him to come back.

"Man what an attitude" commented Hige between the mouthfuls of meat he chewed on. Mahina simply grunted when he said this and shook her head lightly.

"Leave him be" she told him "He won't last much longer with that attitude of his, acting like a bratty child" Hige nodded slightly in agreement.

"Don't say that…" Toboe muttered to them "I liked Tsume he's really nice" Really nice? To who? Mahina glanced up at the young pup to find his eyes down cast in slight sorrow and this made the she-wolf frown slightly as she watched him. This pup…he really cared about that wolf didn't he?

"Wait here" Toboe chirped raising his head with a fierce burn of determination "I'm going to go and get him" and with that said the youngest of them all took off after Tsume. The sight of him leaving caused the she-wolf slight alarm; she turned fully away from the meal before her to watch Toboe go.

"Be careful Toboe" she called after him; he waved back at her slightly but kept on running. Mahina sighed slightly "Reckless little pup" the female grumbled settling back down with her arms tightly crossed. Noticing her restlessness with ease Hige placed a hand on the females shoulder and offered her a sincere smile when her crimson orbs looked his way.

"Don't worry Mahi" he told her "He's a runt but he'll be fine, he's got Tsume around right?" Mahina frowned deeply.

"That doesn't make me feel any better" she replied to him now feeling her fur prickle nervously. It was safe to say that Toboe, when he wasn't trying to keep Tsume calm, had latched himself onto the only female of their as if she were his own mother. Mahina didn't mind much, she enjoyed having the young pup to look after and it call the she-wolf a sucker but waking up to find him cuddling next to her slim form was always heartwarming for Mahina. However, with the steadily growing bond came a steadily growing protective nature over the copper wolf. Now Mahina almost couldn't stand having Toboe out of her sight for too long and it had only been three days since they first met!

"Give them time" Kiba voice in "It'll be alright"

Mahina waited with Hige and Kiba long after the sun began to set. She waited with them when the full moon took to the sky and shined high over their faces. As the three of them silently basked Mahina couldn't help but feel a sense of dread brisling through her being. Her fur was slowly beginning to stand on end and her muscles gave off small trembles if she was still for too long. Call it instinct or Paranoia or whatever, but Mahina had a feeling deep down within her that Toboe was in trouble. She tried to keep herself calm from where she lay beside Kiba but she knew he was aware of it by the way that his blue eyes glanced her way from time to time. She wouldn't jump up and go looking for Toboe though; she'd wait just like Kiba had suggested they do.

"So I was thinking…" Hige broke the silence between the three of them "We should ditch that guy. It's not like her has to tag along or anything, it was only happenstances that they ended up with us"

"The same can be said about you, you know" Mahina replied though she was certain Hige had been addressing Kiba with his suggestion. "If you hadn't happened upon Kiba in that lab you would have never known about all of this"

"Neither would you" Hige replied sitting up so he could see the female better, "It was only because you were with those humans that you found Kiba too!"

"I was in that lab for the same reason Kiba came to Freeze city" Mahina told the amber wolf calmly closing her eyes and letting the moon light bathe her in its light and grant her new found energy. "Even if we left the city separately we would have eventually ended up traveling together" Hige made a face at this but of course Mahina didn't see it. "I do agree with you though" she added after a moment "Scars tells tales after all and he doesn't have the most bearable attitude."

"He's just different" Kiba remarked "He's always had someone to blame. That's pretty lucky if you ask me" now Mahina sat up and looked down at the ever so calm white wolf. As usual his expression betrayed none of his inner emotions to Mahina or Hige as he continued to stare up at the moon "Give him a break" he told the two of them wisely "he'll come around"

"You know you act like you pretty much have all the answers" Hige pointed out "what did you do before all of this huh?" curious of this Mahina fixed Kiba with an interested stare. She too wondered what Kiba was like before he began looking for Cheza, for Mahina it was almost like she was born to seek out the flower maiden but Kiba…he never said what had gotten him started on his search of Cheza and ultimately paradise. Even under both Hige and Mahina's stares Kiba never once tore his eyes from the moon above them nor did he even once show any sign of what he might be thinking.

"Nothing much…nothing much at all…"

* * *

><p>There in that same place the three of them waited for most of the night and still no sign of Toboe or Tsume. Their scents couldn't even be caught in the wind so after a bit more waiting Mahina began thinking that where ever the two of them were they wouldn't be coming back and with that thought came the reluctant knowledge that if Tsume and Toboe weren't coming back it was time for the remaining three of them to get moving again while Kiba could still faintly smell Cheza and Mahina could feel the maiden ever so slightly. Even so as they began walking in the opposite direction that Toboe and Tsume had gone Mahina trailed a slight distance behind just hoping that she might catch Toboe's scent for she really didn't want to leave the pup behind with that grey wolf, if Tsume up and abandoned Toboe the pup would never last and that worried Mahina greatly.<p>

Her hair stood on end again as they walked on but this time Mahina stopped and looked back. She couldn't ignore it anymore, this tremble that ran along her spine and made her fingers twitch violently until she curled them into tight fist. Something was terribly wrong; those wolves were in some kind of trouble.

"Kiba" the she-wolf glanced over her shoulder, Kiba was looking back as well and when he noticed that he was the only one walking on Hige stopped and looked back as well. "You feel that too don't you?" Mahina questioned the white wolf, his lack of answer was enough for Mahina to know that he indeed felt that sense of danger, how could he not? His sense of instinct and intuition was sharper than the rest of them he had to have known something was wrong way before Mahina did. "I…I'm going to head back and look around just in case they're looking for us" the female informed the two.

"Wait!" Hige held up a hand and sniffed the air "Do you guys smell that?" Smell? Smell what? A gentle wind blew past them right as Hige asked them the question and this wind answered their question. Mahina closed her eyes and breathed in through her nose deeply, riding along the breeze was faint but it wasn't hard to miss.

The scent of Lunar flower…Cheza.

Mahina watched as Kiba's eyes grew in size and for the first time he showed a great amount of shock. Mahina could see just by the look on the wolfs face, he had long forgotten the sense of danger that Toboe and Tsume might be in and without even casting an eye back he took a step forward in the direction Cheza's scent came from. Would he really do it? Was he really going to leave Toboe and Tsume behind to possibly die? No! He couldn't! She wouldn't let him! Stepping forward the female felt Kiba's muscles tense under her fingers that curled around his wrist and held on tightly keeping him from walking on. He looked back at her in slight surprise.

"Kiba" Crimson met Azure and Mahina begged him with her stare "Please…" for a moment, a heart stopping moment, Mahina thought that Kiba might not go back and was really putting a small chance to find Cheza over the lives of two of his own one of them being only a pup! When the moment ended though Kiba turned to face Mahina fully and after forming a tight grip on the she-wolfs wrist he took off running back where they had been before pulling Mahina with him taking off into a full run as fast as they could possibly go.

It didn't take them long until the scent of smoke and gunpowder burned the air clouding the inside of Mahina's nose and the clanging of metal ran through the air. The closer they got to the source the more danger hang in the air. Gunshot ran out soon and this made Hige shot his concern.

"Gunshots?" Mahina heard the amber wolf speak "That can't be good! I think those two are in some serious trouble!" That was an understatement; this smell…Tsume's blood was so potent Mahina was sure she could taste it if she tried hard enough. They followed the scent until they were looking down a ledge as a monstrous black machine thundered its way after what looked to be Tsume.

"He's limping" Mahina pointed out staring down at him.

"Look there's the runt!" Hige pointed to Toboe running in the opposite direction.

"Take care of that machine" Mahina barked "I'll get the pup out of here" she heard Hige nodded in response before the female took off along the ledge and leaped down. Toboe whipped around when he noticed that the machine was chasing Tsume.

"No! Hey-" just as the pup was about to call out to get that monstrosities attention again Mahina had gotten to him and tackled him. The pup yelped as the she-wolf's arms wrapped about his thin waist and took him clean off his feet. "M-Mahi?" Toboe squeaked when he safe the face of his attacker, Mahina looked at him briefly before pushing off the ground hard shooting both of them into the air. "Wait! Mahina! Tsume's down there! We can't leave him down there he's hurt!"

"Leave Tsume and that machine to us" Mahina told the pup, she landed gracefully on much higher ground and set Toboe down.

"Mahi!" Hige called running up to the female and Toboe. The pup sighed in relief when Tsume appeared limping behind the chubby wolf. "You alright runt?" the amber wolf addressed Toboe who glared back at him in response to being called a runt.

"Where is Kiba?" Mahina questioned; a volley of shots and a stream of white shoot past the three wolves answered her.

The female ran to the edge with wide eyes as Kiba dove right into the hail of bullets being fired by that machine with a large spike of ice in his mouth. He was fearless as a bullet grazed one of his legs and his blood curled through the air dancing with the wind into Mahina's nose. Within seconds of landing on the machine Kiba stabbed it with the spike and leaped off the monstrosity just before that part of it exploded. The very ground rumbled with the explosion and cracked under the machines wheels until it couldn't hold its weight any longer and caved taking it down even deeper into the icy cliffs in a cloud of smoke and snow. Kiba landed on a lone ledge higher above them. It was amazing! With the smell of his blood mixed with the power he was displaying Mahina couldn't help but feel a chill run up her spine. He did it! He took that thing down all on his own!

"Mahina watch out!" the she-wolf was so caught up in what she had just witness she didn't notice that the machine was still alive or that it had locked on her. Gunshots rang out just as she felt Hige grip the back of her jacket and yank her backwards and out of view of the firing killer. With Mahina out of its view the monster returned to shooting at Kiba. The caverns shuddered and shook with the black machines merciless attack but Kiba would not be killed so easily.

With a speed Mahina had never seen before the white wolf ran up the towering cliffs higher and higher even as it became vertical and looked to be impossible to run up and Mahina watched him as he did this, it was as if he were trying to reach the heavens way up in the sky another shudder ran up the females spin.

He was…truly a phenomenon.

* * *

><p>Because that giant machine had been firing up a storm and blowing up the frozen caverns in its attempt to kill them all it had disturbed the area. One of its many bullets and missiles broke through the icy walls around and set free a mass of water from a frozen prison that eventually became its down fall washing it away with its harsh rapids. The rapids settled soon after they were released and froze soon after. The sun rose soon after and as they all regrouped it was like it was all just a bad dream.<p>

"Are you okay?" Mahina asked when Kiba finally appeared in a casual walk towards them. Kiba didn't appear hurt but his blood still faintly hung in the air and was the cause for the she-wolf's still slightly prickling fur.

"It's only a scratch" the white wolf replied to her.

"Yes right" grumbled Hige "I swear ever since I met you guys it's been nothing but trouble" he complained on his hands shoved into the pockets of his hoodie.

"If you're so bothered by that fact, why don't you just go back to Freeze city?" Mahina rolled her eyes at Hige "We'd probably have fuller stomachs if we didn't have to keep feeding you're bottomless pit" The amber wolf chuckled sheepishly at this innocent shot at him.

"I had a feeling…that you guys would come for us…" Toboe muttered softly with a grateful look on his face. Mahina smiled brushing a hand over the pups head.

"Don't get use to it runt" Hige remarked

"That's Toboe" Toboe glared

"I didn't ask for help" and there goes grumpy Tsume making things not as pleasant all head turned to the brooding wolf with his back turned to them "Why would you risk your life to try and safe me? And don't try to say it's because we're _friends_"

"That's easy" Kiba replied in his usual cool manner "it was just instinct"

That seemed to be enough for Tsume. Without another word the grey wolf pushed himself to his feet and with the help of Toboe began walking. Once again like Kiba had said the young pup and the grey wolf with the scar on his chest joined them again and as if yesterday had never come about they set out on their journey again though they had to walk for the time being because of Tsume's injuries. From the pack of the group Mahina crossed her arms behind her back and stared at the four wolves walking ahead of her.

"These wolves…" she muttered to herself "…with them…it really feels like a pack" from her place the she-wolf smiled.


	6. The Fallen Paradise

**Thank you to Juliedoo and FlamingIcewolfgirl for your reviews! I'm very greatful!**

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><p><strong>Chapter V:<strong> The Fallen Paradise

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><p>"H-hey!" young Toboe yelped stumbling around his feet before falling to his knees, a light giggle replied to this. He looked up at the female that stood a few paces ahead of him with an amused grin on her face. "No fair" pouted the pup "You're too fast"<p>

"Come on Toboe" the female giggled "You're young, you should be able to catch up to me no problem" the she-wolf placed a hand on her hip, her amused smile never once leaving her lovely face. For the past couple of minutes she had been playing around with the pup while their pack took a rest. In a sense she was teaching him to hunt or at least build up his weak body.

Yes, these four wolves made up her pack and though they didn't always get along, Tsume's attitude sometimes left a lot to be desired, to know that they were a pack brought Mahina joy when she thought about it. Since the incident with that big, black, killing machine Mahina had begun to learn a bit more about these wolves she called her pack.

Toboe, obviously, was the youngest out of them all. He was still rather young, Mahina would consider him a pup, and before Freeze city he'd never met another wolf before. An elderly woman had found him when he just barely opened his eyes and had been taking care of him. Toboe implied that the old woman had passed on, though he wouldn't say how, and he'd been struggling on his own ever since. He was a domesticated pet if Mahina had ever seen one and that was a disadvantage for the pup. Mahina took him under her wing filling in as a mother for Toboe, though she didn't _at all _know how to be one.

Around them, as Toboe took another lunge for Mahina, Tsume, Hige and Kiba sat atop the snow watching curiously or with amused looks. The she-wolf grinned and with a soft grunt took to the air over the pup with ease. Toboe only had time to look up in awe watching Mahina loom over him momentarily before the young pup yelped loudly and snow was thrown everywhere.

"Looks like she got you runt" Hige shook with a deep laughter as the mother like female had the pup on his belly and sat on his back like he was her throne. Toboe picked his face up from the snow and shook white puffs of ice from his face glaring at the amber wolf. "You can do better than that!"

"My _name_ is Toboe" Toboe snapped at the older wolf "and how can I catch Mahi if she's too fast!" the boy stopped his ranting when Mahina placed a hand atop his head and chuckled on ruffling his hair as she did.

"When you hunt, your prey will not stop and let you catch it because you complain that it is too fast" She informed him letting her playful smile grow larger. Toboe stretched his neck to gaze up at her and see this gentle smile. Mahina leaned forward so he wouldn't have to strain to very hard "if something happen to the rest of us" she went on to say "or should you be separated from the pack you have to learn how to catch your own food Toboe" she then stood up and offered Toboe a hand so he could stand as well. He needed a great deal of practice still but hopefully with time Mahina would have Toboe fully capable of fending for himself should the rest of them not be there for him.

"She's right you know" Hige said and with a grunt was standing up and slowly approaching the pair. He had his hands shoved into the pockets of his sweatshirt and he walked with a casual pace "And if you can't catch Mahi how can you hope to catch anything else?" the she-wolf tried not to snarl at the chubby male as he drew closer.

Hige had been the first wolf Mahina had seen when she entered freeze city. He was a rather large wolf, not in muscles mind you he was just very chubby, and from what Mahina could tell he really only cared about two things in this world: Food and women. He had been the one to help Kiba escape from his cage in the lab and that was just about all Mahina really knew about the amber wolf. He seemed like the she-wolf herself; he had no pack before them and he had spent most of his life wandering from city to city. The only differences were Mahina wandered in search of Cheza, Hige wandered in search of something interesting and while Mahina followed instinct Hige followed his ever so sharp nose. In fact it was his nose that led him to Kiba and ultimately this journey in the first place. Now when it comes to the comment this chubby male had just made about his female pack member it was something to be expected, Hige could be just a bit sexist at times but other than that it was harmless. Of course this didn't stop Mahina from putting the male in his place from time to time.

"But Mahi's really good at hunting" Toboe defended Mahina casting a look of admiration towards her "She caught that deer last week like it was nothing!"

"It was weak though" Hige pointed out "It hadn't eaten for _days_! It hardly had any meat on it remember?" the sullen look on the amber wolfs face told the two that he definitely remembered. Mahina tried not to roll her eyes as she pressed a palm against her hip. What she recalled from that event was this bottomless pit of a wolf complaining that the poor creature wasn't fat enough and didn't have enough meat for him to ease his hunger, it had been a complaint Mahina had ignored. Now, she just waited for him to get closer, just a few more steps… "I bet you I could catch her no probl-" unfortunately for Hige he was never given the opportunity to finish his sentence.

Toboe gaped in utter shock as Mahina's feet left the snow covered ground and introduced themselves to Hige's face, particularly his mouth, with as much force as she could put into the kick. Time stopped for that moment and everyone took the action in. To the she-wolf's satisfaction the kick propelled the male away from her and Toboe and into the snow.

"Mahina!" Toboe gaped looking from Mahina to Hige once or twice but Mahina didn't care, she landed on her feet gracefully with her hands on her hips as if she hadn't kicked Hige at all.

"Wha-" Hige sat up cradling his precious face before glaring up at the female "What the _hell_ did you do that for?"

"I'm not one to be sensitive to insults" Mahina told the chubby wolf casually moving her hand from her hips to the pockets of her jacket "But I don't particularly like being told I'm slow especially by someone who spends his free time feeding a hole in his stomach that can't be filled" Hige continued to glare at Mahina but with a scuff she turned away from him, It was easy enough to see from her disposition that the originally harmless comment took a shot at her pride but then again kicking Hige in the face like that probably shot his ego down a couple of levels as well. "Eat your words before you make a claim you can't back up" Mahina fanned the flames smugly "maybe you won't be so hungry if you do"

"Oh is that so?" the amber wolf lowered his hands from his face; her back was turned to him…if he timed it just right he probably could… Hige pushed himself onto his hands and knees "We'll see about that!" He tried his best to be quick, and really to the human eye the action was a fast one, with as much power as he could muster the chubby wolf pushed off the ground and launched himself at the female he believed to be unsuspecting of his attack only…she wasn't so unsuspecting. "I got you!" Hige yelled in victory as he opened his arms wide to circle around Mahina's waist but instead of touching her flesh he was, again, met with the bottom of her worn shoes. The lone shoe pressed against Hige's forehead and with a loud grunt he was eating snow.

"You were saying?" Mahina challenged smirking down at Hige.

"You guys…" Toboe approached them with caution "knock it off before you hurt each other"

"Y-Yea" Hige pushed his head up "listen to the runt Mahi"

"That's the point" Mahina replied to the cub with a blank face and a monotone that would make it hard to believe that she was so mercilessly slamming a member of her pack's face into the snow with her foot each time he tried to look up. This would put him in his place for a while…

From his spot on the ground Tsume actually laughed at the scene he saw before him. The sound stopped the scene and all its players looked his way.

"Pathetic" he commented chuckling on from his seat "both of you couldn't even catch the scrawny thing"

"Scrawny" Mahina repeated removing her foot from Hige's head and turning her gaze away from the wolves around her to look out at the surrounding landscape of what was miles upon miles of endless snow. Why did it seem that these wolves had no respect for her? Were females not valued in packs?

"Don't say that Tsume" Toboe spoke up turning to the grouchy wolf with hopes of defusing what would probably be another one of many fights. "You know that's not nice to say, Mahi's really helpful!" What did Tsume do in response to this statement? He laughed of course.

Tsume was what humans would probably call a grouchy old man. Though she didn't know his age Mahina had to guess that the grey wolf with the scar on his chest was the oldest of the pack based on how damn negative he was all the time _'Paradise is a fools dream'_ he'd always ramble on when the subject came up among the five of them _'You're all idiots for following this mutt' _never mind the fact that he, too, was following the white wolf he liked to call a mutt. From what Toboe had explained to Mahina at one point, when Tsume wasn't around to stop him, the grey wolf had been a part of those raiders that kept hitting the lab back at Freeze city. They hit trains that came into the city, storage warehouses and the lab in the center of the city and that run down place Kiba had found Tsume in had been their hideout. It was no wonder his fur reeked of all those unpleasant scents, it _still did_ faintly despite being away from them for such a long time. Beyond that Mahina knew nothing of this male though it was obvious he had seen battle because of that scar on his chest. Mahina and Tsume didn't like each other; there was no getting around it. Tsume considered her a female version of Kiba which made her the runner-up for first place on his list of people he hated and to Mahina Tsume was a washed up wolf tamed by a pack of humans, or a house pet as she had quickly grown fond of calling him. If it weren't for the others the two of them would have ripped each other apart by now.

"I'll call her whatever I want" Tsume scuffed with his nose in the ear as if somehow he held superiority compared to the she-wolf "she _is_ scrawny"

"I'll repeat myself" Mahina spoke up "Eat your words before you make a claim you can't backup" Tsume's grin faded in reaction to her comment "What makes you think a simple House pet could size up to me?" the female allowed herself a moment of arrogance.

"Is that right?" Tsume remarked turning his head to take in Mahina and fix her with a glare similar to the one Hige had just given her. "I'm not like these two weaklings you know" he pointed out "I actually have experience" Mahina wasn't intimidated by the comment at all and she met the grey wolfs gaze with the same glare.

"That can't be much coming from a house pet"

"Mahi" Toboe spoke wearily but it was hopeless, the challenge had been set and Tsume was game that much was obvious by the look in his eyes.

Slowly, the grey wolf rose to his full height. There was silence between the two before Tsume took off in a speedy charge for Mahina with jaw snapping and snarling loudly but much like Hige the grey wolf missed the female. Fur prickling wildly, the she-wolf easily side stepped the first attack and jumped back as Tsume quickly wiped around and snapped at her legs. They snarled at one another before taking off along the empty land as if they were racing but never once looking away from the other. Occasionally Tsume would lunged at Mahina or she would lunge at him in attempts to bite at each other's legs and trip the other up but all attempts failed until, finally, the grey wolf grew tired of it and finally dove in for the kill. That was when Mahina had him. He leaped up over her trying to startle the female and for a split second he came inches from clawing a gash into her back, if she had stayed where she was for a second longer he would have, but he missed and in the time it took for him to land he lost. Mahina chomped down as hard as she could and earned a loud howl of pain from the grey wolf.

'_Get off!'_ the male growl came out from among Toboe's gasp and Hige's loud hiss as he sucked in a breath, empathizing with the grey wolf. Even at the command Mahina did no such thing, in fact to prove her point she released for a second and chomped down even harder on the grey tail that belonged to Tsume. _'I said get off you scrawny mutt!'_ this time she did.

"That had to hurt" Hige muttered under his breath jogging towards the two as Mahina took a couple of steps back from Tsume.

"Tsume are you okay?" Toboe chirped from beside Hige but if Tsume replied anything it couldn't be heard compared to the laugh that Mahina let out.

"Am I still scrawny?" the she-wolf laughed arrogantly to the male that could do nothing but glare up at her. "I guess none of you can match up to me" she crossed her arms and shook her head at the three wolves before her…wait a minute…three? Something was missing here and within seconds of realizing this fact what was missing made its presence known to Mahina again. She didn't have time to react to the sudden sensation of dread; before she could blink a sudden force hit her in her midsection and knocked the air clean out of her lungs. She was taken off her feet and practically tackled to the ground in cloud of snow.

"Whoa!" Toboe yelped loudly not catching the tackle like Hige and Tsume had "Mahi!"

"Kiba!" Hige gaped when what had happen registered to him fully "What the…"

Kiba?

With a loud gasp air rushed back into Mahina's lungs and she blinked away her sudden daze. The chill of the snow ran along her neck as she found herself sprawled out on her back across the ground with her arms pinned over her head at the wrist instead of standing over a defeated Tsume with smug pride. Someone was looming over her, Mahina stiffened under the intense Azure eyes that stared down at her.

"K-Kiba" she stammered out between her gasp for air. Of course, how could she possibly forget about Kiba?

Kiba wasn't hard to miss; he was the white wolf of the group but also the quietest of them all. It was no wonder he could sneak up on her like that, he barely spoke and his white fur blended well with the surrounding land it wasn't hard to sometimes forget he was with them. Mahina didn't know much of anything about Kiba, none of them did, only that he was searching for paradise like she was. That was the existent of their knowledge of him, he was a highly guarded male and it almost seemed like if it didn't have anything to do with getting Cheza back the rest of them didn't need to know anything else about Kiba. For whatever reason the smell of Kiba's blood had awoken Cheza from her long slumber and sent Mahina into a tailspin and she didn't know why. He was a mystery…

"Eat your words before you make a claim you can't back up" Kiba repeated Mahina's words to her continuing to stare down at her with the intense eyes and sparked a fire in her face turning it a faint pink. Not having anything to counter to the obvious lesson she was suppose to be learning Mahina settled for ripping her gaze from Kiba's eyes and fixing it on the endless field, there goes her arrogance. "We've rested long enough" Kiba told them when she looked away from him; he pushed off Mahina and released her getting back to his feet. The female stayed just as he had left her and stared up at his as he offered her a hand up "let's go" he told her. With her pride now scared the female smacked the white wolfs hand away and got up on her own. She stormed ahead of everyone else not bothering to look back at them; they'd eventually follow behind her.

"What's gotten into her?" Toboe voiced catching her edgy attitude all of a sudden; Hige chuckled slightly shoving his hands into his pockets.

"That, Runt, is a wounded pride"

* * *

><p>"I had a dream that we reached paradise"<p>

Mahina glanced over her shoulder at Toboe's words from the back of the pack. His face brightened when he mentioned the dream that he had and the female couldn't help but smile at him.

"Really?" she hummed facing forward again and kept walking "did you now?"

"Yea!" Toboe chirped breaking into a slight sprint until he was in front of Mahina. His eyes were wide as he walked backwards and explained his dream to the she-wolf "Oh it was so amazing! There were all these red and blue flowers blooming everywhere! And you know what?"

"What?" Mahina couldn't help but giggle out

"They were all lunar flowers!"

"Have you ever _seen_ a lunar flower before?" Hige deflated the pup's happy balloon. Toboe stopped walking and pouted at the question as Mahina brushed past him and kept walking.

"Well…no not really" the copper pup confessed still pouting. Hige passed him now muttering something along the lines of _'I thought so'_ as he did "But Granny was there too!" Toboe piped up again wiping around fixing the bag of Hige's head with a determined stare "and she took care of us and she cooked for us and made us these kinds of delicious foods!"

"What are you talking about?" Hige rolled his eyes.

"Guess you'd be happy being someone's pet even in paradise" Tsume snorted passing the pup as well. Toboe paused in his place for a moment before he turned around and ran to catch up with everyone else. From where she was within the pack, right behind Kiba as usual, Mahina continued to grin to herself. Toboe's positive outlook and general excitement over what would be awaiting them when they finally reached paradise was a nice pick-me-up when days became long and endless traveling became tiresome. Toboe wasn't alone in his curiosity over paradise, the female wondered what the wolf sanctuary was like as well though she didn't particularly believe that Toboe's human owner would be there waiting to cook them food and take care of them. As she walked the she-wolf closed her eyes and tried to imagine Paradise: lush green fields, towering trees, fresh and untainted air…truly Paradise.

"It's not what you think!" Toboe went on once he caught up to them all "It was like a party and we were all treated like guest! There was music playing and everything!"

"That sounds like a coffee shop to me" Hige remarked dismissively

"But it's true!" Toboe whined on "it was so amazing! I thought it was really paradise…it's hard to describe" the pup ended with a slight mutter.

"Well with a brain like yours…" Hige muttered teasingly

"Leave him be Hige" Mahina chuckled

"Give me a break" Toboe barked out glaring at Hige "Even Kiba hasn't told me what paradise is like! How am I supposed to know!" at the mention of the white wolf Mahina raised her head and looked at the taller male she was now walking beside.

Kiba didn't say anything in response to the comment but the smile on his face was enough to tell Mahina tales of his amusement over the pup's excitement. He was enjoying the conversation as much as Mahina was.

"What color are lunar flowers?" Toboe asked Kiba as they continued to walk "Can you tell me that?"

What color are lunar flowers? That was a good question indeed. It was probably the truth that none of the wolves had ever seen a lunar flower before in their lives. They use to bloom all over the place long, long ago but when humans began hunting down wolves they slowly began to fade and disappear until they, like the wolves themselves, were thought to be extinct. Cheza was made of lunar flowers. It was strange, Mahina had spent most of her life chasing down Cheza but never once asked herself the question Toboe had just asked: just what was the color of the very flower that made Cheza so special?

If Mahina had to think about it and guess she would say that lunar flowers had to be white. They had to be white and they had to glow as bright as a full moon.

Suddenly a smell hit the female's nose; she didn't smell just cold air anymore. She smelt salt and the smell of it made her stop walking like Kiba, Tsume and Hige. What she saw before her actually surprised her just a bit. There was a bridge that started just a little ways away and stretched out far across an icy surface and farther than the eye could see, it probably went on for miles.

"What is it?" Toboe marveled when he finally caught up to everyone and saw what they saw.

"The ocean" Kiba answered. Mahina had never seen the ocean before so she when Kiba said it was so she marveled at it just as much as Toboe did. This was an ocean? Why did it smell so salty? How interesting! The curious female leaned forward slightly to gaze at the water and took in how dark it was with a not so pleasing look, it didn't look at all welcoming to get close to… She'd definitely be careful while traveling on that bridge.

"The scent is faint" she spoke up tipping her nose to the air "but its lunar flowers, I'm sure of it… I can feel her too…just a bit"

"Guys this is it!" Toboe mused reenergized by the news Mahina had just delivered "Paradise is right up ahead! I know it!" and with a cheerful yelp he charged ahead of everyone and went straight for the bridge. Mahina, of course worried for the pups well being around those icy black waters, was quick to follow after her and behind her Kiba followed then Hige and then finally Tsume.

They ran for what felt like days across the tracks on the bridge until finally something could be seen in the far off distance. It was a dark shadow among the blowing snow and salty air and it made the pack slow to a stop for a moment to stare at it from where they were.

"A City" Hige pointed out with hope "maybe we can find some food there"

"The scent is coming from that city" Kiba spoke up before running on without another word, the rest followed him. It didn't take them much longer after spotting the city to find themselves leaping down from the high bridge into the nearest empty street. Mahina landed beside Hige with a grunt and Toboe came after in a clumsy touchdown falling to the ground and Tsume landed last.

"You smell flowers huh?" Hige muttered sniffing the air "all I smell is the stink of oil"

"That's too bad" Mahina replied brushing dirt from her hands and clothes before offering Toboe a hand up "I guess I give your nose far too much credit Hige" she teased. He was right, the city did smell of oil but if one focused hard enough the scent was there. If Mahina could pin it to a physical object she'd say it was like a lone thread from a spider's web. It couldn't be seen with the naked eye but that didn't mean it wasn't there and though most will breeze past it and never know it was there but others walked into it. That little sliver of a smell of lunar flower, it was all over this city.

"You mean you smell it too?" Hige questioned walking beside her, she nodded her head gently. They walked on in silence after that, the streets were completely abandoned aside from them which was just a bit strange considering that it was still light out. This town had a totally different feel compared to the dome city they had left long ago. There were people living here though, Mahina spotted them among the buildings on either side of the pack peering down at them from their windows but quickly ducking out of sight when the she-wolf looked their way.

"…What a crappy city…" Tsume remarked

"Do you think they're afraid of us?" Toboe questioned also taking note in the lack of a warm welcome from the town's people.

"What the hell are we suppose to find here anyway?" Tsume threw the question behind him, Mahina tipped her head and glance over her shoulder at the silent white wolf walking behind her. He didn't answer Tsume question and when the grey wolf snort out and added "This is _some_ paradise" with a sarcastic whip to his words Kiba didn't respond. Instead he stopped walking and turned his attention away from them in the direction of a wide open alley beside them.

Seven individuals sat huddled together around glowing embers, most of them were men but there was one female among them. Their clothes were worn and faded and their faces told tales of age and fatigue. As if sensing their presence they glanced over at Mahina and the others with a hard glare. One of them stood, a male in a red and black stripped jacket, and faced them.

"Where are you kids from?" he asked

"A city off north" Kiba answered

"…and you're here because?"

"Just passing through" Mahina spoke up this time, pulling a hand free from her jacket and stretched her arm out behind her. With a subtle nudge pushed Toboe behind her. She didn't like these guys at all.

"You can't expect us to do business in such a dump do you?" Tsume added to Mahina's comment. The male before them didn't even flinch at the insult.

"Where are you going?" he questioned on

"You know… I don't really think that's any of your business" Mahina replied crossing her arms as she did, it was best not to go around telling people where they were going. Say the wrong thing to the wrong person and they would be begging for trouble to come their way.

"We're going to Paradise!" Toboe suddenly bark from behind Mahina gripping her arms for support as he poked his head out from behind her to glare at the group. Mahina tensed up slightly feeling the air grow just as tense for a long pause between the two groups. They could have said anything in response to Toboe's answer, they could have snarled and tried to chase them out of the city, they could have simply brushed them off and went about their lives but instead they started to laugh and loudly at that. Toboe tighten his grip on Mahina's arms when they did. "Mahi, was it something I said?...Why are they laughing?"

"Because" Kiba glared "they obvious don't know anything about paradise"

"We know all about it" the leader remarked as soon as he had stopped laughing "It's nothing but a stupid fairy tale. There's no such thing as paradise"

"What makes you so sure?"

"Maybe because we've been there, we've seen it" one of the packs other wolves answered taking the younger wolves by surprise. They've seen paradise? No way! If that was true what the hell were they doing in a place like this?

"Don't believe him" Mahina muttered to Toboe who didn't look very happy with the comment, she glanced back at him and offered him a soft smile "he doesn't know what he's talking about"

"Don't I?" Mahina glanced back over at the old pack to see that the male that had said he'd been to paradise was now standing up "Believe me missy that wasn't paradise, it was more like hell" slowly he approached the group with his eyes fixed on the she-wolf.

"I wouldn't expect a dog like you to know what paradise looks like" Mahina coldly despite Toboe tensing behind her, after such a long time of seeing Tsume and Mahina argue to the point of a fight the pup must have a sixth sense for trouble at this point.

"Listen" the older wolf spoke stopping just a foot away from her "Believe me when I say you're better off just forgetting about paradise. Go back to where you belong and get on with life." He smirked at her and reached out a hand, bad move. A growl rumbled about the female's throat like a hive of bees beginning to swarm threatening his actions but he ignored it as his fingers drew closer to her face "I wouldn't want such a pretty wolf to be so disappointed when you find out that its all-" that it's all what? That, Mahina never found out. This wolf, or dog as Mahina preferred to see him as, had reach out his hand to touch her face without realizing that to do so he had to stretch his hand out and in front of the glaring face of one of her pack members. As he spoke he trailed his hand down the side of her face and pushed her chin up with the tips of his fingers so she looked him in the eyes, and that was about as far as he got.

Suddenly a loud snarl and then a bark echoed through the area and teeth snapped chomping down on the hand. The wolf howled in pain from the bite and quickly yanked his hand back stumbling away from Mahina. She gaped for a moment startled when she realized that she hadn't been the one who bit him like she had been planning to do. A new figure stepped in the space the male now retreated from with their back to Mahina and a fierce glare directed at the male.

"…Kiba…" the female quickly recognized the white wolf now standing like a barrier between her and the wolf whose hand he had just bitten. The air became tenser than before with the drawing of blood and a sense of danger over powered Mahina. That wolf deserved it, what kind of idiot goes and puts their hands on the member of another pack like that? Especially a female! For all he knew she could be one of these fours mate and touching her was just inviting trouble to the door. Still, they were outnumbered but Kiba was showing no sign that he was going to back down. "Kiba" Mahina spoke his name again, he glanced back at her when she wrapped her fingers around one of his arms "come on let's get out of here" she told him "I don't want to hang around here anymore…" wordlessly Kiba complied and with Mahina's firm grip on his arm the two of them began walking with the others close behind them.

The pack they left behind laughed in a taunting manner at their back.

* * *

><p>"I don't like this idea" Toboe commented "this place… its giving me the willies"<p>

"We'll be fine Toboe" Mahina reassured the pup "it'll only be for the night, just so we have a place to sleep"

"But it's so _creepy_" Toboe countered "and I keep hearing some strange noise"

"Would you stop being scared all the time?" Tsume complained

"Tsume" Mahina sent the male a glare before turning a soft eye to the youngest of their pack and pat his head "don't worry Toboe we'll be fine. I promise I won't let anything happen to you" the pup looked up at her

"R-really?"

"Of course" she smiled back "now…could you please… loosen your grip?" she wheezed out gasping just a bit when Toboe's arms tightened around her waist where he had been holding onto her since they came to their destination "I can't really breath…"

"Oh!" he let her go and Mahina inhaled "sorry…"

Night had come to the city and with it the need to rest so the pack traveled the city looking for a good place to sleep. It turned out that the best place to sleep was a cemetery a little ways away from town; it was secluded enough for them to hang out around the area without being noticed or attracting trouble to themselves. Toboe, however, didn't like the idea. Even after he had release Mahina's waist and the group began walking into the field of the dead the pup held onto her arm.

"Do you hear that?" he jumped and drew even closer to Mahina.

"I don't hear anything" Hige replied in boredom

"There's something here!" Toboe whimpered and Mahina winced, for a weak little runt he certainly had a grip.

"Toboe" the she-wolf commented when she felt the pup tighten his grip even more than she though the possibly could "There's nothing here but the five of us, I swear it!" or at least she _would have_ swore it before something popped up out of the ground right at her feet. It was only a very old wolf but Hige and Toboe screamed loudly and while the chubby wolf stumbled backwards and onto his butt Toboe wound his arms around Mahina once again and buried his face into her jacket. "T-Toboe…" the female gasped out "Toboe I can't breathe!"

"Hey gramps! What are you doing?" Hige yelled at the old male after he had breathed a sigh of relief "You scared the crap out of us!"

"Gramps?" to Mahina's relief Toboe loosened his grip and peeked out from her jacket. This old wolf leaned an arm out of the hole he had so suddenly popped out of looking totally harmless, Toboe sighed as well "I thought I was a goner" he breathed

"Sorry about that" the elder laughed softly "I'm just digging a hole for myself"

"Digging a hole for yourself?" Mahina repeated "are you saying you're digging your own grave?" the question cause Toboe to shudder and Mahina wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer to her, how morbid…

"When you get to my age you start recognizing that your time is up" the old wolf replied though he didn't at all look sad about this fact.

"You better start digging faster than" Tsume mutter under his breath rudely.

"Excuse me" Kiba approached from behind everyone with his hands in his pockets "but do you know if there are any lunar flowers around here?" Lunar flowers? Mahina glanced towards the white wolf curiously, what a random question to ask. If one looked around at the barren fields of cold dirt it was impossible to believe that lunar flowers ever grew here at all let alone still did. Despite this thought a look of familiarity crossed the elders face.

"Long, long ago they bloomed all over this island" he explained to Mahina's astonishment he smiled brightly and opened his arms up wide as if the ground would suddenly sprout with the beautiful flowers "but then they were all dug up one day" a sullen look came to the wolf's face when he said this and lowered his arms "not a single petal is left"

"Do you know what color they were?" Toboe asked

"Why they were the color of the moon of course!"

"And what about Paradise?" Tsume asked this time though his sarcastic tone never once left him "have you been there?"

"Every wolf goes looking for paradise" the elder answered this "I, myself, tried to find it once" Tried was the keyword in that sentence, Mahina frowned slightly.

"So… you didn't find it?" she asked quietly.

"My dear I never said I didn't find it"

"What?" the five wolves gaped in union.

The elderly wolf led them away from his hole and farther into the cemetery. It was there at the top of a hill that he stopped and pointed to a boarded up arch with a caution sign tied to it. By the time they had gotten within a foot of the arch Hige was covering his nose with both of his hands and groaning in protest.

"_Ugh_!" he complained "What is that? It smells like death warmed over!"

"You know… I was kind of expecting the entrance to be a little nicer" Toboe commented.

"In a dump like this? I think this is the best we're going to get" Mahina replied

"There have been many young wolves that have set out through there" The elder explain turning from the arch and facing the young pack "but sadly none of them ever reached paradise" so did he mean they died? Was that why it smelt like death to the more sensitive nose out of all of them? "And for those who return there's nothing left but to ink out a living here, just like the rest of us"

"Okay old man I think it's time you rest for the day" a new voice joined them and every looked behind to find the wolf from earlier standing behind them. This man, who had a scar running down the side of his face Mahina noticed, had a superior air to him which probably made him the Alpha of this towns wolves. "Don't forget we have work tomorrow" he told the old wolf

"I see… Well, I've dug it deep enough" the elder slowly made his way to the wolf's side.

"When your pack tried to get to paradise" Kiba spoke up stopping the two wolves from leaving like they had moved to "did you use this entrance?"

"I thought I told you it doesn't exist"

"Zari…" the elders attempt to sooth the wolf known as Zari was ignored

"If you disrupt the peace of this pack I'll show you no mercy" Zari warned them all "get out of this town before dawn"

* * *

><p><em>Metal screeched in her ears and clamped shut with a loud <em>_**Clang**__! She opened her eye wide when she realized that the loud clang was the sound of bars shutting tightly behind her. She barked loudly sticking her muzzle between the bars hoping that someone would hear her, find her, __**save**__ her! Someone! __**Anyone**__!_

_The cage rattled and began moving away from the savage flames that burned on before her eyes. She barked and yelped pressing against the bars as hard as she could hoping that by some miracle she could escape but there was no escape and no one was coming to get her._

_As the burning forest began to become farther and farther away the air echoed with cries of pain. A lone howl rang out through the night air and soon another joined it and then another and another. She watched in utter horror as the land, the home she had been born on and lived on, glowed orange with the fire that took over and now filled with the mournful cries of those unfortunate enough to not make it out. No… flattening her ear to her skull she tipped her tiny muzzle upward towards the full moon over head and howled with them_

_The air danced with this sorrow filled song of loss and goodbyes._

Mahina's eyes snapped wide open with this dream. Raven curls sprawled about her head and the cold ground pressed against her cheek. She was lying on her side turned away from some ongoing conversation. A small hand trailed along the side of her head and ran along the soft tresses of hair in a petting motion that surprisingly enough sooth the she-wolf and stopped her from panicking like her dream might have originally made her do. Her crimson eyes softened easing from their wide open state.

"Don't say that" Toboe's voice spoke from right behind Mahina telling her that it was the pup that was petting her so delicately. It only made sense that it would be him; she did the same for him when he slept. "Besides… getting angry just makes you hungrier"

"Maybe we should stay here and die in the gutter" Tsume's voice reached Mahina's ears now "Start digging holes for ourselves like that old man" They must be talking about what they were going to do next. According to the old wolf that arch was dangerous to take and even though Kiba probably wasn't afraid of dying if it meant he'd reach paradise the rest of them liked the idea of living just a bit longer rather than take a risk and enter the tunnel. Now Mahina remembered… she had fallen asleep listening to Tsume complaining about what a waste of time their journey had been.

"It's not confidence…I'm not really sure what it is but it's always there screaming inside of me" Mahina remained still as ever as she listened to Kiba.

This was something she and Kiba shared in common among other things, this unexplainable feeling deep within that pushed them to seek out Cheza and find paradise. Mahina's memories were lacking a great deal, she couldn't remember anything of when she was younger but that didn't matter anymore. All that mattered to her now was the latest memory she had. She didn't know how she had gotten where she did but she remembered waking up on the ground at the foot of a dead forest. She didn't know where she had been before hand or if she had had any plans to enter that forest, all that was swimming within her being were two names: Her own, Mahina and Cheza and this urge deep within her. It was like Cheza herself was calling to, reaching across the distance and tugging at her inner being pulling her closer and closer.

"I have to get there that's why I've kept on running all this time" Kiba summed up Mahina's thoughts for her without even realizing it "I can't imagine living without believing in it…" Just as Kiba finished the sounds of footsteps reached her ears and she raised her head ever so slightly to look in the direction of the person approaching.

"You guys must be starving by now" It was that female from earlier and she was carrying a bag with her, that was probably what Hige smelled when he suddenly shot up from his laying position beside Mahina.

"We sure are!" Hige chirped crawling over to the female happily "How very kind of you to notice!"

"Kiba wait!" Mahina sat up just a bit more when Toboe called after Kiba, he silently left the area they had decided they would sleep in and didn't slow down or stop when Toboe called to him. The pup ran off after Kiba leaving Tsume and Mahina to watch Hige greedily dig through the bag the female had dropped before him and began munching on what appeared to be bread

"Thanks! This is really great!" the chubby wolf remarked

"What about you two?" the she-wolf addressed Tsume and Mahina now with bright eyes and a friendly smile on her face "Are you going to eat?"

"No" Mahina responded while Tsume simply looked away

"Awe come on lighten up!" Hige told the two of them "Let's face it we don't know when our next meals going to be"

"Weren't you listen back there" Tsume snapped at Hige "we don't have a destination, our little trip is finished"

"What do you think Miss…uh miss…" Hige turned his attention to the female who had saved him from his hunger

"My name is Cole"

"Cole huh?"

"You've got to be kidding me" Mahina muttered, with Hige how he was right now and that dream she'd never get sleep in here. The female pushed herself up and onto her feet stretching her limbs when she did

"Maybe you all should think about sticking around for a while"

"Well that's tempting isn't it?" Hige looked towards Tsume and Mahina but the she-wolf turned her back on him and made her way towards he very doorway Kiba had just left. It was just as she was walking out that Toboe started coming back.

"Guys…Kiba just ran off on his own" he stopped in the doorway as Mahina brushed past him "Mahi…what's wrong?"

"Stay here" she told him over her shoulder and kept walking.

"Tsume" Toboe spoke up again as Tsume left as well going in the opposite direction Mahina was going "You're leaving too?"

"This isn't worth my time…" Mahina heard before she was out of ear shot of the others.

She was leaving so that she could find a place to get a peaceful night of sleep but really now that she thought about it she was absolutely terrified of going back to sleep. What is she had another one of those dreams again? Mahina slowed to a stop along the edge of the island and stared out at the waxing moon above her. Those dreams, she could still hear those haunting howls of the wolves trapped in that fiery blaze echoing in her mind. She cringed holding her head in her hands and closing her eyes tightly.

"Make it stop…" she muttered to herself why was she having these dreams? And why was she rocked with such sorrow and pain when she woke from them? It didn't make any sense!

"You're by yourself…" It was Cole, the fellow she-wolf's scent drifted into Mahina's nose long before her voice reached her ears. She looked back at the older female briefly before looking out at the sea again.

"…What do you want?" she asked coldly

"Nothing really" Cole chuckled walking beside her and sinking into a seat "I just thought you might follow the white one" The white one? Did she mean Kiba? Why would she do that? Mahina gave Cole a confused look that she smiled mischievously to "He's your mate isn't he?"

"My-" oh the color that came to Mahina's face "it's nothing like that" she grumbled looking away as Cole laughed lightheartedly at her. "He's _not_ my mate"

"He's very protective of you" Cole remarked, she must be referring to the hand biting incident that took place during their first encounter with one another. She guessed anyone would assume Kiba was her mate after seeing him nearing chomp another wolfs paw off just for touching her. Still facts were facts.

"We're a pack" Mahina commented stiffly "if he didn't do it I would have and I wouldn't have let go" yes that was it, if Kiba had let Mahina bite that mutt she would have ripped his arm right out of its socket then they would have really been in trouble.

"Whatever you say" Cole chuckled on "Are you looking for somewhere to sleep?"

* * *

><p>The place Cole led Mahina to was a lone room in one of the many buildings in town. It didn't have any sort of furniture to indicate that a human lived there, just a couple of mattresses and a lot of blankets perfect for sleeping in.<p>

"It isn't much but..." Cole spoke softly standing at the doorway watching Mahina look around the room. The younger female looked back at her older counterpart and smiled gently.

"It's perfect" she said "as long as it's warm and quiet I'm okay" Cole smiled back at her stepping into the room and slowly closing the door behind her. "But I don't get it" Mahina added sinking down so she sat on one of the mattresses "our packs aren't exactly on neighborly terms, why be kind to me?" Cole smiled on dropping onto the mattresses across from Mahina.

"If you haven't noticed" she explained "there aren't many other females around here, I might even go as far as to saw we're the _only_ females in this whole town. We need to look out for each other" Mahina scowled slightly at this, she knew there had to be some kind of catch!

"What do you want from me?" she questioned eyeing Cole. She laughed in response shaking her head.

"Nothing" she answered "I just...want to look out for you..." the sincerity in Coles eyes was enough to earn a bit of trust from Mahina. The young female turned her eyes from Cole to the only window in the room. From that tiny window one could look out and see the desolate land that lay between the town and the cemetery where the others should be right about now.

"That old wolf" Mahina murmured recalling the elder's words as he recalled the younger days of this island "he said that it use to be covered with lunar flowers..."

"Ah, I see you spoke with him" Cole replied with warmth to her tone as she did, she too turned her gaze to the window "you know if we had been here long ago I bet this place would be paradise" this place be paradise? Mahina could hardly imagine such a thing.

"Even if that were true" the female said softly "this paradise has long since fallen, there's no reason to stay"

"You sound like that boy" Cole chuckled out probably referring to Kiba but Mahina was too tired to argue with the fellow she-wolf. It must have showed on her face as she continued to gaze out the window because Cole quieted down "you must be tired" she told Mahina softly "I bet you've been traveling for days, you can rest here for the night"

"...thank you" Mahina hummed, she couldn't really argue with Cole for she was tired though she was certain no sleep would come to her. She didn't want it to because once it did the dreams would follow, those haunting cries would echo through her again and this time there would be no Toboe to sooth her when she woke in a panic. Still, as to not worry Cole, Mahina shifted on the mattress and crawled under the worn old blankets that lay across it.

"You know being here isn't all that bad" Cole informed the younger female watching her as she rolled over and turned her back to her "you learn things from the humans here. Like what a kiss is"

"A kiss?" Mahina repeated curiously though she did not budge from her comfy position, she had never heard of something like that.

"Yes" Cole confirmed "it's when you and another press your lips to each other"

"I don't see the point in doing that" Mahina deadpanned, why would humans have such a useless things as that? Honestly, she thought the whole species was stupid. Silence met Mahina's remark for a little while, so long so that she thought that Cole was done talking so she closed her eyes awaiting horrid sleep but then a soft chuckle reached her ears.

"human mates do it a lot" she informed Mahina "It's their way of showing affection for one another" the she-wolf's crimson eyes snapped open in direct response to the new information. Quietly she let it sink in before huddling even deeper into the blankets she found herself bundled in.

"I'm going to start ignoring you now" she announced making Cole laugh. The eldest of the two couldn't see it but a rosy color was coming to the younger face under such blunt teasing, she was starting to wonder if sleeping out with the others had really been such a bad idea.

* * *

><p>Soon Cole's laughter died down and she fell silent allowing Mahina peace at last. For hours she lay still on the mattress drifting in and out of black, dreamless sleep. Not dreaming about anything was certainly odd and new but was welcomed nonetheless. At one point of time during the night Mahina heard the faint howling of Toboe from somewhere nearby, it wasn't mournful like the howls of the she-wolf's dreams nor did he sound like he was distressed or it trouble. He was just howling, the sound of it lulled Mahina even deeper into sleep for the rest of the night.<p>

When she finally woke again the sun was peeking timidly through the small window in the room as if the day itself were unsure if it wanted to come. The female would have stayed asleep herself but a gentle shake kept coming to her whenever she was just on the verge of falling asleep again.

"Hey..." Cole shook her again "wake up it's time to go" the young female grumbled in response and brushed Coles hand off her "Come on now" Cole sighed continuing to shake her "we have to go to the train station, I'm sure your pack is waiting for you already"

"...wha?" Mahina drowsily peeked her head out from under the covers a stared up at the older She-wolf "they're at the station? But why?"

"I'll explain on the way" Cole replied and yanked the blanket off of Mahina "come on before we're late" Mahina groaned like a stubborn child curling into a tight ball and staying like so.

"Late for what?" she whined but Cole said nothing, instead she turned tail and left the room leaving Mahina to silently wonder what she meant. She could always get up and follow, apparently her pack would be at the station right now but why would they all meet there and not tell her?...right she had run off and spent the night here... Sighing, Mahina pushed herself of the mattress and exited the room grumbling to herself the whole way.

This _better_ be damn good.

She found Cole waiting for her outside of the building with a knowing look in her eyes. As they quietly walked side by side through the town Cole explained to Mahina that trains going to other towns stopped here every morning so the humans within could rest and that this was how her pack got their food. She said she had told her pack to come to the station in the morning so that they wouldn't go without food after traveling for so long. However there was something wrong with the way Cole was acting, like mentioned before her expression held a look as if she knew something that she just wasn't telling Mahina. As they found their way into the train station from one of the upper levels the young female found herself questioning why Cole was acting like she was all of a sudden.

"Is something the matter?" she asked in a soft voice halting to a stop beside Cole, Cole didn't respond. All she did was look down at what was going on below. Oh, that was right! Cole had said the others would be here, she should find them and make sure everyone is okay. Forgetting her question to the she-wolf beside her Mahina turned her attention down as well.

There were many levels between her and the ground level where the train and its cargo were and seeing as most of the stations occupants were down at the ground level it wasn't hard to spot Hige, Tsume and Toboe leaning over the railing of the second or third level. That wolf Zari was with them and they were collectively watching the train being unloaded. Human's yelled out commands and the loud crack of a whip suddenly run in Mahina's ears.

That's was when the female saw it, a sight that would haunt her far worse than her nightmares ever could. Crimson eyes grew in size and pupils narrowed, Mahina's already fair skin lost all color at what she saw. She looked beside her at Cole for an explanation but Cole didn't look at her, she simply gazed down with a sorrowful look on her face.

"Wha….what is this?" Mahina muttered in horror turning her attention down, down, down to the ground level.

Large, stacked, heavy looking boxes of cargo towered high on planks with the intent to have them pulled up to the higher levels of the station. The human with the whip cracked it loudly commending dozens upon dozens of wolves strapped to the cargo. A deep shudder ran up Mahina's spin as she gripped the railing before her tightly and watched these wolves struggle in union dragging those heavy boxes up a ramp wheezing all the way. It was just too much take! The she-wolf sank to her knees still holding the rail, she wanted to look away but she couldn't. The wolves managed to drag the cargo to the next level where the humans allowed them to stop and rest.

"All the trains make a quick stop here" Cole explained watching the young female's body shudder as she watched the wolves panting and dropping to the concrete trying to catch their breaths "It give the humans and us a chance to eat. We work for them and they feed us"

"Like a pack of house trained pets" Mahina shuddered, how? How could wolves lower themselves to such actions? Her body wouldn't stop shaking watching the wolves getting up and dragging the cargo on but one of the wolves began struggling…wait! "That's the old wolf!" she gasped loudly pushing herself back to her feet and zeroing in on his struggling form. While the other wolves around him pushed on he looked to just barely be holding on and then finally, after what looked like a painful struggle to move on, the elderly wolf collapsed. "No… this…this is terrible…" the she-wolf was so absorbed in the sight before her she didn't notice that Cole had slowly drifted away from her and out of sight.

The human's cracked their whips at the elderly male and, shaking so much Mahina could see it all the way up where she was, the old wolf struggled to get back up but he just couldn't do it and within minutes of pushing himself up he fell back down. Again the humans cracked their whips at him but this time around he didn't move. No…he couldn't be! The thought of this old wolf digging his own grave yesterday came to Mahina's mind and her muscled shook even harder at the realization; this elder knew that doing this today would be the end of him!

Suddenly, from Mahina's spiral of despair Kiba's scent floated into her nose. She stiffened and looked around wildly for the white wolf, he couldn't see this! If he did Mahina didn't know what he might do! It was too late though, standing at the bottom of a lower ramp by the train was Kiba. He stood there in shock for a moment before a large snarl echoed through the building and the white wolf changed charging up the ramp and moving to attack the humans around the elderly wolf surrounding the now deceased wolf.

"Kiba!" Mahina yelled out as he picked up speed "Kiba no!" It was too late, baring his teeth he leaped to attack but just as he was about claim his first victim Zari dropped from the level he was standing with the others and took Kiba down. Startled by the sudden attack the many humans in the station left their post to help Zari in pinning Kiba down

"A stray dog!"

"It's huge!"

"Get it before it gets away!"

* * *

><p>"I thought I told you not to interfere, we have our own way of doing things around here"<p>

Zari's words just barely reached Mahina from her place on the ground. Dammit it was like watching Cheza being taken away all over again! She felt so helpless! So utterly powerless to stop what she witness not too long ago! Black locks fell about her shoulders and past her face as she hung her head and slumped where she sat beside a very banged up looking Kiba.

Kiba had managed to get away from all those humans and Mahina and the rest were quick to follow him. Both their pack and Zari's stood quietly in the cemetery while the unfortunate elder was set down in the grave he had dug for himself yesterday. From where he stood Zari glared over his shoulder at the younger pack and most of them glared right back.

"Living like a bunch of down and out stays and clinging to this disgusting place" Kiba snarled from beside Mahina "Doing the things you do, how can you live like this?"

"What the hell do you know about it?" Zari barked back

"You're _pathetic_" Kiba spat

"…" Zari paused "You kids…are still young"

That was the last thing the wolf said to the young pack. The elderly wolf was buried and with that left the pack of five to themselves. No one said anything to each other for a long time even as the sun began parting from the horizon and taking to the sky.

"Those damn mutts" Tsume broke the silence delivering a harsh kick to the nearest rock to him.

"That was awful" Toboe spoke so quietly it was almost missed "How can they do that to their own kind…"

"Kiba…" Mahina spoke almost as quietly at Toboe did earning her stares from the rest of the pack. From beside her Kiba stared at her gripping his shoulder. As Mahina raised her head to look at the male in the brighter daylight she could see all the cuts and slashes and scratches to his face and his torn clothes. He looked a lot worse than he did when she saw him in the station but as she gazed into those Azure eyes of his all she saw was surprise.

Mahina's throat burned and throbbed in pain from the knot forming in it as tears formed in her crimson orbs and slowly began trailing down her face. Her whole body shook much like it had when she had been in the station.

"I don't want to stay here anymore" the female choked out her hands curling into tight fist on her lap "Please Kiba can we go?"

"Mahina…"

"We…" Mahina lowered her head again "We can't stay here"


	7. Cages don't suit you

****Thank you to Juliedoo and FlamingIcewolfgirl for your reviews! I'm very greatful!  
>I hope<strong> that the grammar mistakes are starting to clear up. I realize that i have a bad habit of that and i'm trying to keep an eye for it the best I can ^_^;;;**

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><p><strong>Chapter VI:<strong> Cages don't suit you

* * *

><p>"We…" Mahina shuddered on when she lowered her head, her bangs hid her face but it was too late. Judging by the look Kiba had sent her just a second ago he knew she was crying "We can't stay here" she didn't care if she had to crawl into that tunnel and died at this point, Mahina just wanted to get off this island and out of here. "I don't want to see that happen to someone else" her slender frame shook as she tried to hold make a sob for the elder that she had to watch die but it came out anyway. She only faintly heard Kiba speak her name again as she leaned forward and hugged herself tightly. "I don't want to see that happen to any of us. We can't stay here, I don't want to stay here…" She just didn't understand it; maybe she was too young to but hell she didn't care! How could a leader knowingly allow his pack to work themselves to death like that and show no remorse? How many of these graves around Mahina belonged to others who suffered the same fate as that old wolf? She just didn't understand!<p>

A firm hand was placed on her shoulder and she raised her head sniffling as she looked at Kiba and into his Azure eyes. That intense glare he had been holding for Zari moments ago was gone now and wordless Kiba pushing himself up and onto his feet.

"Let's go" Mahina hastily whipped at her face and nodded at the command. Kiba limped away from the freshly buried grave. He didn't get very far though he tried to, after three steps the white wolf dropped to the ground from his wounds and eventually had to be helped back to their resting spot by Toboe and Mahina.

"How did you get all these wounds" Toboe muttered as the three of them walked behind Hige and Tsume up the hill "there's too many for you to have gotten them all at the station-whoa!" extra weight was suddenly dropped on the two and they looked in alarm at Kiba. "He's in really bad shape!"

"Go ahead and clear an area for him" Mahina instructed Toboe grunting as she pulled Kiba to her and his full dead weight was upon her "I'll get him up there" the copper pup nodded his head and hurried up the hill as fast as he could go leaving Mahina behind to stand along holding onto the wounded male. His head dropped onto her shoulder and his hair tickled at her cheeks letting his scent encircled her nose; his scent…that fresh smell of pine. No other has ever had the smell of nature like Kiba did. They always smelled like foods like Hige or the things they've been around like Tsume but mostly like the humans they so often masked themselves to look like and live among like Toboe. It was like a breath of fresh air and the smell of it made Mahina pause when it came to getting up the hill so they could tend to him, she closed her eyes and breathed it in letting it wash over her like a wave and sooth her sorrow. "You really went and got yourself into trouble didn't you…" Mahina muttered when she opened her eyes and took in even more of the damage done to the white wolf.

Toboe was right, there was no way he could have gotten all of these wounds from Zari at the station. He had only pinned Kiba down and kept him from attacking any of the humans but when they drew close Zari had let Kiba shaking him off and run away. These wounds all the teeth marks and scratches had to have been dealt to him yesterday or at least before he got to the station and knowing Kiba it was probably because of his big mouth. A soft smirk came to the female, she figured Kiba's mouth would get him into trouble sooner or later.

"We're not staying here" Kiba's voice broke Mahina's trail of thought. He stirred slightly easing the weight he was putting on her but Mahina quickly stopped him when he tried to stand on his own.

"Don't move too much" she told him pulling one of his arms over her shoulder "You're way to injured to being moving on your own let me help you" Kiba grunted in response and together the two of them began the slow ascent towards the top of the hill.

"I'm going to find a way out of here" Kiba told Mahina weakly as they walked. Curiously the female looked at him but he had his head hung and his brown hair covered his face.

"What?"

"We're not going to end up like them" Kiba said, the muscles in his arm tighten and Mahina gasped slightly when the arm that she held onto curved around her in an odd sort of hold. Crimson met Azure and the two stopped walking. The look in Kiba's eyes was like icy fire "I promise" he told her as the flames dulled and his eyes drooped "We'll reach paradise…" he fell unconscious again pulling a grunt from Mahina. The she-wolf stumbled forward thanks to the added weight and sighed.

This wolf was certainly a mystery…

* * *

><p>"Man, that Tsume's a real hard-ass" Hige complained from somewhere behind Mahina. The female rolled her eyes from where she was crouched and went on skimming her hands over the plant life in search of the plants that Toboe needed to dress Kiba's wounds.<p>

Some time had passed since the morning and most of it had been spent tended to the numerous wounds the white wolf had. It was obvious at this point that he had been jumped, probably by Zari's little mutts, sometime after he had gone off on his own. Either way they couldn't do much moving with the white wolf in the state that he was in so while Tsume stood guard and Toboe kept Kiba still Mahina went off with Hige to gather herbs and help the chubby wolf find food for everyone. Tsume had left no mercy for Hige for eating all of the food Cole had brought for everyone and declared it his job to find them more. Now Hige complained about having to do such a task and really Mahina couldn't blame him, food was scares enough as it is to think that they could easily find some here on an island full of wolves was a fools dream.

"It's what you get for stuffing your face without having any consideration for the rest of us" Mahina told the male before circling her fingers round the plant that she had been looking for and pulling it from the dry soil "If you just stopped letting your stomach think for you you'd be so much better off Hige"

"How does he expect me to find anything anyway?" Hige remarked bending down and picking something up. Mahina glanced back at him and the worn old looking stuffed toy he had dangling by its thread tail "I mean if it was so easy to find food around here Zari and those guys wouldn't be doing what they're doing would they?"

"Perhaps you're right" Mahina replied, she stood up straight and ran her hands over her jeans to get the dirt off of them "But it doesn't matter right now, they do it and there's no use wondering what would have happen if there was something to make them not do it" but then again even working for humans in exchange for food wasn't so bad…if only they went about it in a different way or found simpler task for such an old wolf to do "He…shouldn't have had to die like that" Mahina muttered softly

"Yea…" Hige quietly agreed dropping the stuff toy back to the ground. Mahina moved on shoving the herb into her pocket and brushing past Hige. The male watched her closely and eventually began trailing after her "…hey Mahi" he spoke up after what felt like hours of silence.

"Yes?"

"Back there at gramps grave" Mahina stopped walking when Hige said this and so did he. She didn't look at him but it was obvious that she was listening "What was that?" he asked her "you were really upset about what happen"

"Weren't you?" Mahina countered "we watched him work himself until he died right there, right before our eyes"

"Yea but… you seemed especially upset about it" Hige's voice lost some strength under Mahina's gaze. Her red eyes seemed dull compared to their usual fire and her calm face held such hidden sorrow. The wind blew past them and their silence and even as the smell of meat hit Hige's senses he dare not look away from Mahina. When the wind settled she looked away.

"I may not act it but I do have emotions" she spoke softly "I feel regret and sorrow just like you do. I just hide it better than most but that…what we saw today…"

"Have you watched a wolf die before?"

"That isn't really any of your business" the sudden whip to Mahina's tone was a harsh one delivering its message with no trouble: the conversation was over. Hige sighed rubbing the back of his neck finally looking away from the female before him and in the direction of that scent he had just caught.

"Hey look!" he spoke brightly "fresh meat!"

"Really?" Mahina looked behind her again at Hige but the chubby wolf was already jogging away from her. He was right though, Mahina couldn't believe her eyes. Slowly she trailed after Hige gazing doubtfully at the heap a short distance away from them just lying on the ground. Why would there be meat this big just sitting on the ground like that?...unless… "Hige!" Mahina shout as the wolf drew closer to the meat "wait! Don't touch it!"

"What are you talking about Mahi" Hige called back bending forward he did the opposite of her command taking the meat in his hands and picking it up "its food! And it look like enough for all of-" Mahina broke into a hard run getting to Hige just as the loud screech of metal run out through the air. The slender wolf rammed into him and propelled him back and away just before tall bars sprung up from the snow and slammed together with a loud _Clang!_ And the she-wolf found herself trapped in a cage.

"Damn" Mahina grunted pushing herself up taking in the predicament she now found herself in.

"Mahi!" Hige scrambled to his feet outside of the cage and hurried over to it he gripped the bars and yanked at them as if he'd be able to pry them open with his bare hands "Awe crap" he grunted "this isn't good!"

"I told you not to pick it up" Mahina barked from within the cage gripping the bars and watching as Hige failed in his attempts to bend the bars "use your head! Why would there be fresh meat just lying around!"

"I get it!" Hige yelled back "Dammit open up!" he tried in vain again, the metal would not budge. This wasn't good, if the humans came and found Mahina... cursing under his breath Hige let loose a snarl and bent down chomping down on the bars hard, he growled and began tugging and pulling but still the bars did not move. After a minute of this he stopped and stood up straight "man…" he muttered adjusting his jaw "my fangs are way too delicate for this" he stated, Mahina groaned.

"Then go and get Tsume" the she-wolf told him, her voice hitched with slight panic. They would probably hand her over to Zari and his pack! They would break her, crush her spirit and make her work for them! She'd end up like gramps! She would die on this island! "Make it quick!" Mahina panicked "If…if they find me-"

"I know, I know!" Hige barked out messing up his hair in frustration "just…just stay like that! They'll probably let you out if they thing you're just some hungry girl that got caught in the trap! I'll be back!" Mahina nodded, it made sense. If she kept herself masked they'd have no reason to hand her off to Zari, they'd just think she was some stupid girl that sprung the trap and let her go. The she-wolf allowed herself to relaxed when she realized this, she was going to be okay or rather…she would have been okay until the sound of crunching snow reached both wolves ears and the ominous sight of three of Zari's wolves, two of them being lead by the one that Kiba had bitten yesterday, came into view. While Hige sighed in relief Mahina tensed up, she didn't like those mutts nor did she feel that their devious smirks meant they were here to save her. "Oh good it's you" Hige breathed "I'm glad you're here"

"So wolves still get caught in traps like these huh?"

"Yea" Hige chuckled embarrassed by the situation "it was my fault, Mahi here got caught trying to say my sorry butt" he rubbed he back of his neck "am I ever embarrassed"

"Well that's what happens when you get so cocky"

"Who's getting cocky?" Mahina glared "We were looking for food"

"Mahi" Hige shot her a warning look and she quieted down. With the she-wolf silent Hige turned back to the three wolves "Sorry" he apologized "do you think you can open this thing and let her out now?" The three wolves exchanged looks still holding those devious grins on their faces.

"What do you think?" the wolf Kiba had bitten asked one of his companions "should we help them out?"

"These little brats keep meddling in our business" he replied "they've been trouble right from the start…"

"Hige" Mahina's eyes grew in size when they looked past him, he looked as well and gasped. A big orange truck was coming this way, the humans were coming! Oh no! "H-Hige, the humans" the female whimpered out shaking the cage

"Relax Mahi" Hige turned back to her "you're going to be okay. Everything is going to be fine" even though he said this he knew that there was panic showing in his eyes, he could see it reflecting in those wide red orbs of Mahina's. Could he be blamed for panicking? Mahina was usually as calm as Kiba when trouble started presenting itself but here she was stuck in a cage shaking like frighten puppy. If she was panicking then they must be in trouble. "Look" Hige turned his gaze to the wolves just grinning at them "I'm sorry" they didn't say anything "Come on let Mahina out!" still nothing "are you just going to stand here and watch her die!"

"Why shouldn't I?" the leader replied coldly "you stuck your nose where it don't belong. This here is our turf…but…" Mahina flinched slightly when he approached the cage and stuck his hand in "you're a real beauty" he told her repeating the same action he had yesterday when Kiba had bitten him. Mahina shuddered under his touch and continued to shake even as he ran his bandaged hand down her face and grasped her chin "A real, _real_ beauty… Maybe I'll let you out if you do something for me"

"What!" Hige snarled glaring at the wolf, couldn't he see how frighten she was? And he was going to go and bargain with her? The twisted little-

"No!" Mahina's shrill scream broke Hige from his heated thoughts and the wolf holding her tipped his head back and howled in pain as loudly as he could. Hige watched with wide eyes as blood splattered against the bars and across Mahina's face while her fangs dug into the very same hand Kiba had bitten a full day ago.

"You little bitch!" the male she was latched onto snarled "get off of me!" Mahina would do no such thing, in fact she chomped down harder pulling another painful howl from her victim "I-said-let-go!"

"Hey!" Hige yelled tensing up when the wolf gripped a fist full of Mahina's hair in his other hand and pulled slamming the females head against the bars as hard as he could with each word that came from his mouth "What the hell are you doing? Stop it!" but he didn't stop, he kept slamming and slamming yelling at Mahina to let him go but she refuse shutting her eyes tightly a taking all the shots until finally he slammed her head with such force the metal bars of the cage rung. Finally Mahina released the wolf and dropped to the ground unconscious and no longer masked in her human illusion. Damn this was getting bad! Enraged Hige glared at the wolf that had caused his pack member such pain "You know what? We wouldn't want help from a bunch of old dogs anyway!"

"What?"

"You're not wolves" Hige yelled "you're not even dogs! You're lower than humans!"

"Why you little…"

The world came spinning back into focus for Mahina when she heard Hige yelp in pain. She raised her head to look and caught the haze image of that mutt she had bitten gripping the amber wolf by his sweatshirt with a fist digging deep into his stomach. No…No!

"Hi…ge…" Mahina could just barely see the male's eyes roll into his head before he dropped to the ground just outside the cage no longer looking human. This was bad…this was really bad… The humans…they were here! Change dammit change! Mahina's head spun when she heard the engine of the truck pull to a stop and the doors open.

"Whoa! We got two of them already!" one chirped almost instantly "and one of them is a big one!"

"It's too wild" the other replied "it'd be better to put it down" No!

"I think he this females mate here" the mutt Mahina had bitten informed them "If we keep them till she's in heat we have ourselves a litter of working dogs"

"That sounds like a good idea" one of the humans responded "put this big guy in the cage with her, we'll keep them somewhere and breed them"

Mahina couldn't keep herself conscious anymore. The world just wouldn't stop spinning before her eyes, the last thing she saw before darkness took over was the two humans bending down to pick Hige up.

'_No…'_ Mahina whimpered out weakly before she blacked out completely.

* * *

><p>When Mahina woke again she was moving. Moving…she opened her eyes seeing that the cage she was trapped in was now sitting on the back of an orange truck and the truck was driving down a road. Hige's voice shouting over the car's engine came to her soon after.<p>

"Come on!" he yelled as loudly as he could shaking the cage wildly "Back here! Look back here!"

"Hige?" Mahina groaned out, her head was killing her. Damn that wolf who did this to her, if she ever laid eyes on her again she would certainly rip his arm clean off. If the humans would really carry out his suggestion she'd eventually get her chance…even if it mean she and Hige would…

"Mahina" Hige stopped shouting at the humans taking them away and kneeled down beside the she-wolf as she pushed herself up to a sitting position "you okay? How's your head?"

"I'm okay" she grumbled pushing black waves of hair out of her face "Where are we going?"

"I don't know" Hige replied to her looking back over at the front of the truck where the humans were.

"Are…are they going to kill us?" Mahina asked

"I don't know…" Hige replied

"I'm not going to die here…" Mahina felt her body shudder, this cage just sent her mind thinking back to her dream and that burning forest. When it came to cages only death followed those trapped within and Mahina _would not_ die here, not like this, not without finding Cheza again. "I'm not going to die here!" the female yelled out, Hige jumped back the best he could with the limited space the cage offered and watched Mahina spring up and rammed her slender frame against the bars of the cage as hard as she.

"Whoa!" Hige yelped when the cage rattled and tipped ever so slightly before going back to its original place "Wait what are you doing!"

"Do you want to die?" Mahina fixed the amber male with a hard stare "or maybe you just want these humans to turn you into a lowly mutt and work for them? Well I don't!" again she rammed herself against the cage and it tipped just a bit more. The triangular cage tilted as far as it could go before a cord that strapped it the truck stopped it from tipping anymore. That was when Hige saw it, she was trying to knock the cage off the truck. If the humans couldn't hear them yelling they probably would notice the cage fall off either. "Help me!" Mahina barked at Hige breaking him from his thoughts. Hige nodded and joined Mahina in ramming against the cage as hard as he could, if they rammed hard enough that cord would snap and they'd be off this ride to their doom. So they rammed and kicked and slammed against the cage adding more and more pressure to the annoying cord until it started breaking.

"I think it's about to break" Hige pointed out glancing up at the cord and saw that it was just barely holding on "One more time!"

"Right!" the pair braced themselves and ram against the cage with all their might but they stopped one of the humans in front yelled out in surprise. Mahina yelped and was sent stumbling into Hige as the truck swerved wildly suddenly. The cage was sent jerking from the action and with a loud snap the cord broke freeing the cage. It tumbled away from the truck just before the orange machine could crash a short distance away. Mahina and Hige were thrown to the side of the cage from the force of the landing, Hige on his back against the bars and Mahina against him.

"Ow…" Hige groaned from under her "that really hurt…"

"Are you okay?" Mahina pushed herself up once the world stopped spinning, her eyes scanned the wolf for any injuries to his person but he simply shook his head.

"I'm okay" he grunted rolling on to his stomach and sitting up as well "Dammit…do you guys _always_ have to be so rough?" You guys? Mahina followed Hige's stares, a wave of relief washed over her when she found the cage surrounded by the rest of their pack. Toboe glared at Hige and his comment.

"Do you know how lucky you are to be _alive_!" the pup barked at the chubby wolf.

"Are you two alright?" Kiba piped up after, Hige grumbled that he was fine and Mahina was quick to nod as well.

"They" she whimpered "They were going to make me breed with Hige!"

"They were?" Hige gaped at the female sitting beside him before grinning slightly "Well that doesn't sound like such a bad gig, maybe we should just stay in the cage" Mahina glared at Hige letting a low growl rumble in her throat, the male she glared at chuckled softly rubbing the back of his neck "heh heh…or not"

"Quit joking around" Tsume snorted "You can get out of there yourself can't you?"

"Yea" Hige confirmed "but you know, that barbaric stuff just isn't my thing" Fortunately for Mahina it was Kiba's thing.

"You know…" he commented "cages kind of don't suit you guys…"

"Enough kidding around" Mahina remarked "can you bend these out of the way so I can get out?" Chuckling slightly Kiba chomped down on the bars and began bending them back and away. When there was more than enough space for both Mahina and Hige to fit through the two of them clambered out of the cage. Mahina quickly pulled herself out and stood atop the cage while Hige started climbing out.

"You damn dogs!"

"Mahi!" Toboe barked out "look out!"

Look out?

Mahina tensed up and looked behind her in the direction of the unfamiliar voice that had just yelled out. The human that had been driving the truck was up now and he was aiming a gun right at her. She snarled pushing off the cage and lunging at the human just as he pulled the trigger. His shot missed but Mahina didn't biting into his wrist and making him yell out in pain. Another wolf, who Mahina recognized as Zari, came charging seconds later biting into his arm and finally making him let go of the gun in his hand.

'_Go! Run!'_ the male directed at her, she wasted no time letting go of the human and leaping off the truck hurrying after her pack. The six of them ran far away from the city as fast as they could knowing full well that the humans would be out searching now they knew there was more than one of them. Zari lead the pack back to the cemetery and into the tunnel they had been warned about going.

"Are you sure this tunnel is really safe?" Hige asked as they all trailed down the slanted tunnel

"I'm sure it's better than being burned up with the trash" Tsume remarked from the back of the line up "Or make into a breeding pair like dogs"

"Please don't remind me" Mahina shivered at the very thought. Soon the tunnel opened up to an even bigger one with a high ceiling. Now that they were actually in the tunnel Mahina could understand what Hige had meant when he said it smelled like death warmed over. The she-wolf groaned placing a hand over her mouth and nose as she was assaulted with the smell of rot and decay. With everyone now standing in the tunnel Zari stopped walking.

"This" he told them "is as far as I'm going"

"You mean you're not coming with us?" Kiba inquired, Zari shook his head

"From here on out you're on your own" he said "…I don't know if the place we tried to reach is real or not but I believe there are some who can make it to paradise and there are some who can't." The male turned and faced the young pack "It's time for you to go on and find out for yourselves if Paradise is real or not"

"And what will _you_ do?" Mahina questioned "stay here and fade away like the flowers?"

"You know, flowers are clever things" The older male spoke in a wise tone "Even if it looks like they vanish they never really go away…kind of like a pack of wolves" His words cut deep for Mahina, she lost her hard stare for a moment but then couldn't help but smile back at the wicked look Zari sent her way. "As long as there is a moon the flowers will never die" he confirmed "and neither will us wolves"

"Is that so?" Tsume chuckled from beside Mahina "Yea that sounds about right" it did sound right. They were lunar flowers after all, so long as there was a full moon to bloom under lunar flowers could always return. Kiba moved first taking a couple of steps forward before starting to run, Mahina smiled and quickly followed after him.

* * *

><p>"Oh, I just remembered something" Toboe spoke up later, they had been running down this path for a while now. The pup looked back at Mahina who ran behind him with a curious face "Mahi, what does breeding mean anyway?"<p>

"What?" The question made both Mahina and Tsume, who took up the rear, stop running and gape at the pup.

"Well back there you said that the humans were going to make you breed with Hige" Toboe pointed out to the she-wolf "but what does that mean?" Did he really not know?...er…how was she going to go about explaining something like that to Toboe? He was still so young!

"Uh…" the female stammered, her face heated up and a deep red came to her cheeks "uh well…you see-"

"When you're older you'll understand runt" Tsume interrupted with a chuckle brushing past Mahina and Toboe to catch up with the others. In his wake the young pup fixed his wide, curious eyes on Mahina.

"But why can't I know now?" he asked her "and why's your face all red like that Mahi?"

"L-l-listen to Tsume and wait until you're old enough Toboe!" Mahina barked out before taking off in a hard run away from the pup.

"H-hey wait! Mahi!...come on just tell me"

"I said wait until you're older!"


	8. The Wolf and the Flower

**Thanks toCrystalmaiden62, FlamingIcewolfGirl, Juliedoo, silentmidnightdeath, and Crystal-wolfguardian-967 for reviewing, you guys are fantastic!**

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><p><strong>Chapter VII: <strong>The Wolf and the Flower

* * *

><p>Now that they were on the right track again it didn't take the pack long before they reached the end of the underground tunnel. The end turned out to be the mouth of a cave that opened up before a lake that almost surrounded a large cliff. It was here that everyone took their rest and Hige found himself happily enjoying one of the perks of having a female in the pack. Her hoodie was slipped off and abandoned at the shore of the water and her ebony locks were pulled out of her face and into a high ponytail. Anyone could call the amber wolf a perv all they wanted but Mahina truly was work of art both in human <em>and<em> wolf appearance.

As a wolf she was slender and muscular with her perfect mixture of black and white fur and faints spots of brown that made her all the more unique. That wasn't all, when the she-wolf turned her head to look at Hige her eyes were a liquid platinum color instead of the golden yellow one would expect from a wolf her age. She wasn't young like the runt but she was young enough.

As a human she could be considered a babe! She wasn't too tall but she also wasn't too short. Much like her wolf appearance Mahina had a slender human body with curves in all the right places. Long, silky, black hair and those piercing red eyes of hers they could chill _anyone's_ spine, wolf or human. Yep, being around such a babe wasn't anything to complain about at all.

Mahina was currently wading through water deep enough to reach her knees, crimson eyes too focused on the water below her to notice that she was being watched. Every now and again she would drive her hands down into the water probably trying to find some fish.

"You know" he spoke up ruffling his hair as he did "I don't think I've ever eaten _fish_ before"

"You spend most of your time in cities don't you?" the female asked slowly retracting her hands when she failed to catch anything. The chubby wolf hummed slightly to her question "While I'm sure fish is supposed to be good for human it's good for us when we've gone too long without eating" the she-wolf explained, her attention never strayed from her task at hand "if you've spent most of your time in cities you probably wouldn't know that"

"Er well…" Hige chuckled

"She's right you know" Toboe chirped with a chuckle of his own "I mean _I've_ never been out of the city before and I didn't know that"

"Well I wouldn't expect a runt like you to know something like that" Hige replied

"Hige, you didn't know that either" Mahina remarked turning her head slightly to look at the chubby wolf who once again chuckled at her words rubbing his neck in embarrassment. "I thought that since we're resting we might as well have some kind of food in our stomachs, everything seems a lot harder to deal with when you're hungry"

"But fish? That's _cat food_" Hige complained

"Like your stomach would know the difference, porky" Tsume insulted the amber male from his perch on a branch high on one of the surrounding trees. Hige grimaced at the comment but from the water Mahina paused and actually let off a light giggle.

In such a short amount of time the she-wolf and the grey wolf of their happy little band began settling their differences. It was probably because Tsume was a little more on the band wagon with this whole paradise thing than before but either way Mahina had stopped trying to pick fights with him every time he made some sort of insulting comment to either Toboe or Hige. Now whenever Tsume took his shots at his fellow pack members Mahina would do this: she'd stop what she was doing and take a moment to laugh about it, Hige could take a few jabs at his pride if it meant he could enjoy that laugh of hers. It wasn't _all_ fine through, the two weren't skipping through a field of daisies, Mahina still irked Tsume by calling him a house pet from time to time and Tsume still ticked Mahina off by calling her scrawny. However, even the hungry, babe obsessed Hige could tell that ever since they left that island there was a slight change in the air when it came to their banter. To put it in simpler terms, when they _did_ argue there was no longer a sense that they wanted rip each other's throats out.

"If you don't want to eat fish why don't you grab the runt and go find something else for us to eat" Tsume suggested leaning back and closing his eyes.

"I agree with Tsume" Mahina hummed, she straightened up from her bent forward position, to Hige's dismay mind you, and turned to the three wolves that took their own space on land. "I doubt a couple of fish will be enough, there might be some other animals around. With your nose, Hige, finding them won't be a problem"

"Heh!" Hige puffed up his chest and rubbed his nose, that's right! Who's the wolf with the most amazing nose! Mahina praised him for his sensitive nose a lot, maybe guys like him were her type! "Alright then" Hige pushed himself to his feet "Come on runt! Let go find something to hunt!"

"We're really going?" Toboe questioned, the runt cast a cautious eye to Mahina who simply smiled and waved him away "Okay, let's go!" and with his hands in his pockets and the runt not far behind him, Hige walked at a casual pace away from their resting spot. "How are we going to catch something Hige?" Toboe asked once he'd caught up with Hige "Do you have a plan or something?" Oh He had a plan alright, he'd find a big old elk or something, hunt it down and bring it back to Mahina. Then she'd realize he was the bread winner and be all over him!

"How hard could this be?" the chubby wolf spoke a loud "Mahi can do it so how hard can it be!" he laughed loudly after saying this.

"But…" Toboe chimed in quietly "Mahi's a lot faster than all of us"

"…" and there goes Hige's grand plan "Shut up and hurry up runt!"

"That's Toboe!"

Back at the lake Mahina had relaxed now that Hige and Toboe were off hunting. She sighed out and slowly sank to her knees in the water allowing it rise past her knees to her thighs and then her waist then her chest and finally stop at her shoulder blades. The cooling sensation of the wave were such a relief on the she-wolf's over worked muscles and she found herself starting to realize that she didn't take it easy _nearly_ as much as she should. Now, she was suddenly over come with a great need to.

"You don't actually think they're going to _catch_ anything do you?" Tsume's voice interrupted Mahina's peaceful silence. Her crimson eyes easily found him still perched in the tree for beside herself he was the only one in the area with Hige and Toboe gone and Kiba still not back from wherever he had wandered off too. "I don't know if you've noticed but they can be a bit slow"

"Perhaps you're right" Mahina smirked and slowly turning back around so she was gazing up at the tall cliff that loomed over everything "But it gives them something to do, they easily get restless"

"They probably won't find anything" Tsume remarked

"Then why don't you go keep an eye on them" Mahina suggested "with you there find a simple meal should be _almost_ as easy as it is if it were just me out there"

"Is that challenge Scrawny?" Tsume snarled at Mahina but it was easy to tell that there was no hostility in his tone. If anything it was playful growl thrilled at the idea of a dare being presented to them. The sound of it caused Mahina to smirk slightly. The female stood back up and turned back to Tsume, he was out of the tree now and standing at the edge of the lake.

"Sure" she hummed out crossing her arms "let see if you can manage to hunt something down by sunset, that sound fair?"

"That sounds generous to me" Tsume snorted, he turned on his heel and began the walk to the forest after Hige and Toboe "I'll be back with something within the hour"

"Sunset it is" Mahina chuckled out to the grey wolf just before his disappeared among the low branches and bushes of the forest. Now all that was left in the clearing was Mahina, left to her silence. The she-wolf shook the water from her fur before moving to the lakes shore and sitting down. She had to say she definitely enjoyed sitting with her feet in the water like this, like a human. She even took her shoes and socks off and wiggled the strange digits about the cool liquid until the chill sent a shudder up her spine. Now that she was in total silence Mahina could fully relax. She closed her eyes, took in a deep breath and sighed just letting the waves gently rock her senses to sleep and let her mind float down the stream of daydreams…

_Behind her closed eyes a strange haziness came to her._

_Instead of darkness she saw sparkling green blurring her vision. She was lying down in this sparkling green and as it slowly pushed and pulled her small frame she realized it was water, she was submerged in water but she could breathe perfectly fine. She blinked sleepily feeling motion slowly come to her limbs and an odd sense of awareness, she could feel that there was a presences standing outside her watery resting place but for the moment she paid it no mind. She moved her limbs about in this sparkling green water until her right arm was floating before her face. Surprise and confusion subtly pulled at her at what she saw, this…this wasn't the arm of a wolf. This wasn't her arm at all, it was peach, almost a pale white. The fingers of her paw were long, slender and when she flexed the muscle of the limb they spread out farther than they normally ever could. This was a strange arm indeed, nothing like anything she had ever seen before. Her sluggish eyes open just a bit wider when out of nowhere a dark shadow loomed over her and this strange arm, the calm water was disturbed as a strange, a black arm similar to the peach on she was looking at broke the watery surface and brushed against the clawless tips of her fingers gently as if she were far too delicate for anything more._

_Why did she feel like she should be afraid? The feeling was there but just barely as if the green waters about her small form were dulling the emotion. She was supposed to be afraid, __**angered**__, seeking vengeance but for what? And why? Slowly she closed her eyes, why was she recalling bright, angry flames and thick iron bars and mournful howling? What was it from? As these questions rang through her head her watery bed rumbled, bubble caressed her body rocketing past her to the ever approaching surface._

_Lower and lower it sank and when her face finally broke the surface her lung expanded as if she had been drowning until now. Arching her back up in an angle she didn't know a wolf could bend in her eyes snapped open and her mouth opened in a loud gasp before she began hacking and coughing up water she didn't know she was choking on. Even though she was outside of the water her vision was still blurry, her eyes looked about wildly as she slowly began regaining a steady breath and the remaining water drained away unclogging her ears and disappearing from around her body. What was going on? Wha…what is this? Her eyes grew wide with hope that she might be able to see more but it did not help_

"_There you go" that gentle black arm reached farther down until it touch her face caressing her in a slow petting motion, the deep voice that accompanied it made the action feel almost comforting trying to ease her through her bodies spasms and twitches "Now, you take your first breaths" this voice told her "Reborn anew"_

Mahina's drooping head shot up and her hand instantly shooting up to the side of her face that black, gloved hand had touched and she took in a deep breath so fast her lungs ached and she coughed it back out. The sun had shifted in the sky so that it was now directly over head. When she had closed her eyes it had been morning! Did she…did she fall asleep again? The lake and surrounding forest came spiraling back into her view but she still gazed about the area in wild bewilderment, without Toboe near petting her head like he had before Mahina was left to shuddered at the dream she had woken from. The longer they traveled in search of Cheza the more these dreams came to her and each one scared her worse than the last painting a terrible story, it was to the point she didn't even want to sleep anymore. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes letting her hand slip from her face and into her lap with a sigh. A slight breeze drifted Mahina's way sending a scent with it, the she-wolf looked behind her.

"You're back" she sat up a bit straighter at the sight of the ever mysterious white wolf of their pack known as Kiba. The male glanced around the area and approached Mahina "The others went off to see if they could find something to eat" she informed him

"And you stayed?" Kiba questioned with a curved brow at her she smiled slightly and nodded her head turning her attention back to the lake.

"I was trying to catch fish" she explained "but I got tired and decided to rest" Kiba sank into the ground beside Mahina with his back turned to her and almost instinctively, as if an invisible hand gentle pushed her, she leaned toward the seated male and found her head rest against his back. She took in another deep breath and sighed out softly "We should stick around for a while" she suggested earning more of Kiba's attention.

"Stick around?" he repeated, Mahina nodded.

"I feel" she started to say never lifting her head from its comfy place on Kiba's back "I feel like we're on the right track right now, we don't have to go anywhere just yet"

"…" there was a shift in positions, Kiba moved just a bit and Mahina could only guess that it was so that he could look back at her without much trouble. The female opened her eyes and sure enough found the azure gaze upon her, the stoic face of the white male pierced Mahina like a perfectly sharpened blade. "You can feel her?" he asked after an almost tormenting silence signs of hope reflected in those blue orbs when he asked this. He hadn't said it but Mahina was certain that a lot of Kiba's confident decisions were based on whether or not Mahina could sense Cheza or if she caught her scent like he did. True, he probably followed his own instincts more but it was times like these that the white would cast an eye to the female and watch her carefully and more than likely trusted Mahina's instincts almost as much as his own. This time however when Mahina closed her eyes and reached out she didn't feel the touch of Cheza's presence though she tried.

"No" the she-wolf told Kiba slowly closing her eyes, she might not be able to feel Cheza instantly but she could try and reach out to the maiden perhaps she was just out of reach…there had to be some reason why she felt like they could relax for now. That was when it happen, like with her dream Mahina was met with hazy vision rather than darkness when she closed her eyes and she could no longer feel Kiba's back against her cheek. Her back was against a soft cushion and her bare feet rest within water. She tried to focus her vision but it was no use, all she could make out was a small tank of sparkling green water and her feet resting within them. She couldn't move though she tried to.

"_Do you feel it Cheza?"_ A deep voice echoed through the area she was in and rung in her ears. This voice….this deep voice…it was the same as in her dream _"We're almost to where you were born…"_ the hazy image faded and Mahina opened her eyes back up turning them to the cliff over head.

"She's not here" she told Kiba softly "But she's coming"

* * *

><p>"Alright Runt, are you ready?"<p>

"Stop calling me a runt. My name is Toboe!"

"Keep your voice down! Are you ready or not"

"I'm _ready_!"

"Good…On my count…"

Carefully the two males were crouched within the cover of brushes and fallen tree branches shuffling about on the pads of their paw just waiting to spring from their hiding places and lunge forth on their unsuspecting pry. Golden eyes stayed focused on the soft brown fur of the target watching it sniff the ground for any source of food for it to go on living without knowing it's life would come to an end soon enough.

"Three…" Toboe's hind legs tense up as Hige began counting down "Two…" Hige muttered quietly and slowly, as stealthy as he could, inched himself just a bit closer to the animal. As if sensing the danger the animal paused in what it was doing, red eyes casting a nervous look about the area "…_Go_!" Loud snarls burst forth and branches and leaves scattered about the place as the copper wolf and the amber wolf leaped from their hiding spots and lunged at the unsuspecting creature from two different directions. Yes! There was nowhere for it to run this time! They got him! Hige would have cheered at this fact but the second his mind told him to the creature vanished from sight and Toboe, who had charged from the opposite direction, replaced it. "What the-" it was too late to slow down or stop, they were both already in full momentum and so with speed and strength meant to take down their prey the two wolves collided with each other knocking heads in a loud bonk of a sound similar to that of coconuts being knocked together. Falling backwards onto his butt Hige shut his eyes tight and clenched his aching head. "Ow!" he growled, geez the runts head was rock hard! His head felt like it had been split in two by Toboe's! Wait, was he bleeding? Hige quickly pulled his hands away from his head and checked them for any signs of blood but saw none.

"What did you do _that_ for?" Toboe whined from across Hige clenching his head much like Hige had a moment ago "That really hurt Hige"

"Don't blame _me_!" Hige yelled back "Why didn't you slow down?"

"I couldn't!" Toboe barked back "I thought that I had it but then it just disappeared right before I could catch it! It's so fast" Yea, that's why Hige had proposed that they attack it from two different sides to _begin_ with! Frustrated the chubby male cursed under his breath looking about the area for the damn creature. All morning the two of them, Toboe and Hige that it, had been trying to catch this stupid animal but every time one of them would get close enough to catch it it would get away! It had speed going for it that was for sure but Hige would be dammed if he let that thing live to see tomorrow. No! He would catch it, kill it and take it back to Mahina for praise! If he didn't not only would this defeat be a deep shot at his stomach, it would be a deep shot at his pride as a wolf! Why? One may ask, well…

"There you are you little bastard" Hige growled when he spotted the creatures brown fur. It sat not very far from the two recovering wolves twitching it pink nose at them as if to laugh at them for their failed attempt in catching it. After scratching one of its long ears the little hare turned tail and hopped away.

That's right. Hige a chubby, but still muscular, wolf had been bested by a tiny, little, bite sized hare! Now it wasn't just trying to escape them, it was _taunting_ them the amber wolf could just tell.

"Get back here!" Hige barked pushing himself up and chasing after the little creature.

"Hige wait for me!" Toboe was quick to follow Hige but Hige didn't heed the runt's words. All he was focused on was getting that stupid hare and snapping its neck! He could see it now, he'd chomp down on its neck and watch it squirm for a while…yea that's what it gets for making a fool of him like that. Smirking in a twisted way only a wolf could Hige continued to run full speed after the hare until it suddenly stopped and darted back and directly at him. He faltered in his steps startled by the action before his face was introduced to the little creature's foot. As if it had somehow possessed Mahina the hare stomped down on Hige's poor nose! The chubby male yelped loudly from the unexpected assault and stumbled away from the hare "Hige!" Toboe yelped from behind him seeing the attack and charging to Hige's side allowing the hare to run away "Are you okay?"

"I'm _fine_!" Hige growled clenching his nose, how dare that little bastard kick him in the nose! This wasn't just a matter f getting food anymore, when Hige caught that hare he was going to _rip it to bits_!

"That was smooth" the familiar voice of Tsume pulled Hige from his murderous thoughts. Both he and Toboe looked behind them to see the grey wolf slowly approaching them as if he had been on a leisurely walk.

"Tsume."

"Having some trouble Porky?" Tsume smirked down at Hige "it looks like the little things giving you run for your money"

"_Shut up_" Hige grumbled pushing himself to his feet and dusting off his clothes, the amber male was already dealing with that stupid hare teasing him the last thing he needed right about now was to be taunted by Tsume. "I'm just playing around" he lied

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with your food?" Tsume chuckled in response with his hands on his hips "Besides, Mahina asked you to do this, I'd figured you'd be off and back by now"

"And just what are _you_ doing out here anyway?" Hige growled trying to change the subject

"Same thing as you I guess" Tsume shrugged his shoulders "I knew you wouldn't be able to catch anything so I decided to go hunting myself"

"Have you found anything yet?" Toboe chirped with hope in his eyes but Tsume shook his head. So he hadn't found much of anything either huh? Sighing Hige tipped his head back and closed his eyes letting the sun over head warm his face. They had been chasing this stupid rabbit all damn morning and still hadn't caught it!….wait a second…

"It's mid day…" Hige pointed out before casting Tsume a wolfish grin, _finally_! Something to get at Tsume with! "So if you haven't caught anything either that means you've been running around here all morning just like us" the chubby wolf snickered with the grey one snarled "What's wrong? Can't catch a simple little thing like a Hare? Come on! You use to be the leader of a gang of human thieves! Little rabbit shouldn't be a problem right?" He was baiting Tsume and the male easily took the bait, Hige could tell by the look in his eyes. Without a word Tsume shoved his way past Hige and began walking in the direction the Hare had run off to. Hige smirked, that was _far_ too easy.

It didn't take Tsume very long to relocate Toboe and Hige's lost rabbit, it didn't run very far probably thinking that it had outsmarted the wolves chasing t and could relax now. Now it raced about the forest as fast as it could go with the grey wolf hot on its tail. Unlike Toboe or Hige, Tsume had _no_ trouble keeping up with the little creatures speed. In fact he took great joy in chasing it down, it had tried using just its speed to out run Tsume but when that hadn't worked it started trying to lose him by running in zig zag, turning in different directions sharply, abruptly, in hopes that this might tire the grey wolf out but this poor Hare didn't know who it was messing with. Before he had teamed up with those humans Tsume had been a hunter in his original pack and he had been a _damn good_ one at that, he'd chased after and took down animals twice this rabbit's size and the effort they had given in trying to lose him had been twice that of this little guys. Even _they_ had been easy prey for Tsume to catch, this was no match for Tsume…or was it?

Tsume had zeroed in on the little creature, it was slowing down from all it's running and he was right on it. He could practically chomp down on its puffy white tail if he wanted to…and he would. Opening his mouth wide Tsume was ready to take it down when suddenly

"Tsume!" Toboe yelled from where he followed the grey wolf "Look out!" look out? Look out for what? Suddenly the hare took yet another one of its sharp turns revealing to Tsume what he was supposed to look out for seconds after he actually had time to. Behind him Hige and Toboe stopped running and winced when a resonating _THUMP!_ echoed through the forest. Branches shook and leaves rattles, birds resting were startled and took flight and the very trunk of the tree Tsume had run into shook with the force of the collision and so the Hare had outsmarted even Tsume.

"Ouch" Hige winced turning his face away from the sight and biting down on his bottom lip in hopes that he would not laugh at seeing Tsume fail so epically, running into Toboe was embarrassing but to run full force into a tree like that…now _that_ was a downright shame.

"Are you alright Tsume?" Toboe approached the wolf as he rubbed his forehead and Hige was busy covering his mouth with his hand and quietly snickering away. A loud squeak silenced all three of them minutes later.

"…What are you three doing?" Heads turned and found the only female of their pack leaning against a tree, a slender black brow was arched at what she had just seen. Hige could already tell by the growing smirk on her pale face that she had defiantly watched Tsume run into the base of that big old tree.

"Mahi" he chirped out chuckling as he did "what are you doing here? I thought you were looking for fish?"

"I was" she answered shrugging her shoulders slightly "but I came looking for you guys, the sun will set soon and we need to get some rest"

"I thought you said you'd give me until sundown" Tsume spoke up now that he had recovered from his crash. "The sun is still up you know"

"I had planned to give you till sundown but you asked for only an hour" Mahina replied "I even gave you until midday, don't complain"

"But we're just about to catch a-" Hige tried but the she-wolf cut him off

"Hare?" she guessed, how did she-… Hige chuckled nervously when Mahina pulled her arm from behind her and revealed what she had tightly clenched in her hand. "Looking for this?" Her slender fingers were wrapped around the neck of the very rabbit that had out smarted Hige, Toboe and even Tsume. Squealing loudly it kicked and thrashed about in her hold. So that had been what the sound was. "It's too small…" Mahina told them scanning it over before letting it drop down to the ground.

"Hey! Wait we were going-" Hige tried to stop her from letting the little bastard get away but as soon as it's feet touched the ground it took off running as fast as its little legs could take it. _Now_ Hige felt defeated, he sighed hanging his head.

"Let's head back" the she-wolf commented turning on her heel and walking away. With another sigh Hige nodded and followed her, Tsume and Toboe not far behind.

By the time they had gotten back to the lake the sun had disappeared behind the horizon and day had surrendered to the ever approaching night. Even as the moon hung over their heads and the stars began mapping out the sky Mahina lay awake. She could not give in to sleep, she _refused_ to, she didn't know what might await her when she did so she decided she would not sleep. Instead Mahina stayed curled up against Toboe, allowing the pup to use her as an extra source of warmth against the chilly night. Tomorrow they would begin moving again, that's what her gut was telling her to start moving again tomorrow. There was something big coming tomorrow that could only mean one thing…Cheza. Lying on her side Mahina stared up at the cliff she had look up at so many times already. Nearby, just an arm's reach away Kiba stared up at it as well.

"…Kiba" Mahina's voice broke the silence around them, the wolf turned his head and glanced back at her. She pointed to the cliff the two of them had spent almost all of the night just staring up at "there, she'll go there"

* * *

><p>As soon as the sun broke the eastern horizon everyone was up and on the move again. Slowly they were making their way around the cliff in hopes of finding an area that they could climb up, of course it seemed that only Kiba and Mahina knew of this because Tsume was <em>already<em> beginning to complain.

"You wanna give us a clue here" Tsume grumbled from his spot behind Mahina and Kiba who walked in front of everyone.

"Sure" Mahina replied tucking her hands into the pockets of her jacket and rolling her eyes.

"Where are we going exactly?"

"To paradise"

"And what in the hell is guiding you there"

"I'm going on instinct" Kiba answered this time though he wasn't saying whose instinct he was going on. Then again for all Mahina knew his instinct could be telling him the very same thing Mahina's was telling hers: That if they kept going the way they were going they would find Cheza. Even though both Kiba and Mahina walked on the rest of the pack stopped walking.

"Here we go again" Hige grumbled this time "you know I don't really mind all this instinct stuff, I just wish we…" The Amber wolfs voice faded from the female's ears to the point that she didn't hear him anymore. Mahina slowed to a stop and after a couple of step Kiba stopped as well. It was strange, she could _see_ him turn to glance back at her with a curious look but it was suddenly like she was watching all of this through another's eyes. What was this sensation, as though something was pulling her away from her body. She couldn't hear anything, not even the sudden ear piercing tone that shot through the air and caught the ears of the males around her.

"That noise" Tsume glanced up towards the sky where the sound came from

"It's an airship, it must be a noble" Hige pointed out

"_Ugh_" the youngest of the pack covered his ears glaring up at the sky "I _hate_ that noise" the three continued to watch the grey clouds above their heads as they moved and parted in the sky to reveal a nobles airship just as Hige had predicted. Minutes later an even larger airship took form among the sky not too far from the first. They hovered in the air for a moment until suddenly the larger ship began firing at the smaller one. The ground trembled and the wolves braced themselves because of this. Toboe yelped as he almost lost his footing "What's going on?" the pup yelled over the chaos

"They're really going at it aren't they?" Hige remarked

"Mahina" Kiba turned fully to face the female who had shown no emotion to the chaos unfolding around her, she hadn't even flinched when the ground shook around her or winced when the sound of the noble's ship came to the rest of them and she absolutely hated that sound. When she didn't respond to Kiba the white wolf approached her pressing his hand on her shoulders and leaning forward so he could examine her expression. Her face was blank and her usually intense red orbs hazy and unfocused as if she weren't there with them anymore or at the least couldn't see Kiba before her "Mahina" he called her name again and still she didn't answer, something was going on with her it was obvious at this point but what? Mahina had told him many times, and he had gathered from watching her, that she had some sort of connection to Cheza, was she acting like this because of Cheza? Reaching out Kiba pressed a hand against the she-wolfs cheek wondering if the contact would earn him a reaction from the female.

It did.

As soon as Kiba touched her face Mahina's heart throbbed hard against her ribcage. So much so that the female's body arched and her head was thrown back. Kiba flinched away from her and her suddenly movement but she didn't notice. Crimson orbs gazed up at the grey sky and the battle going on in it, they grew wider and wider by the second as yet another hard thump from her heart pulsed through her.

"Mahi?" Hige turned his attention to the female when she had suddenly jerked hard with the throb "Kiba what's up with her?" of course Kiba didn't have an answer nor could one expect one from Mahina.

Oh if they only knew the sudden rush that had assaulted the slender wolfs body. Her heart was beginning to race, throbbing hard in its place with each beat. All sounds were muffled as if she were under water and no matter how hard she tried to fight it her eyes remained locked on the smaller airship being assaulted by the larger one. She could feel it from there, that familiar sense of awareness and excitement. It pulsed through her veins and made her shudder violently.

"Mahina" Kiba called to her more firmly but the she-wolf could not hear him, he was muffled background noise to her so she paid him no mind even when he gripped her arms and shook her. Her hair was standing on end and her body wouldn't stop trembling. In the distance, a sound slowly fought its way through the muffled noise so that it could be heard. It grew louder and louder until she could hear it clearly.

_Mahina__...__Mahina__...__Mahina__  
><em>

A voice as pure as heaven itself called to her in the distance. Beckoning her with invisible hands that brushed over her face, wrapping its arms about her neck in a tight embrace. Louder, it was getting louder!

_Mahina__...Mahina...__Mahina__  
><em>

Who was this angel calling to her? She closed her eyes tuning out everything else around and focusing on the voice. Now its unseen presence had surrounded Mahina and the sweet smell of lunar flower graced her nose.

_Mahina__...__Mahina__...this one is here...__MAHINA!__  
><em>

This one is here. Those four words ignited an explosion within Mahina, her eyes snapped open and grew to their very limits in size locking on the smaller ship even as it spun and zipped about the sky blocking and dodging brilliant red lights that bents and shot after it. This voice, this utterly warm embrace. It could only be one thing.

"Mahina" Kiba shook her again, the others surrounded the female now with looks of concern. It had been three or so minutes now and still Mahina hadn't answered any of their calls. She just continued to stare up at the Noble ships fighting over head with eyes as wide as an owl's eyes as if some great shock had come to her. Her body trembled and her rosy lips were parted open slightly. Suddenly she took in a shuttered breath and breathed out a name finally speaking even if it wasn't to them.

"…Cheza"

"Cheza?" Hige repeated taken by surprise by the name she had uttered, Kiba mirror Hige's shock tightening his grip slightly on the she-wolfs arms.

"Mahina" he called her again "Mahina can you sense her? Can you feel Cheza?" But of course Mahina gave no response; she couldn't hear her pack speaking around her. Her gaze, her attention and focus, her everything was zeroed in on the one ship and the presence of the maiden within. Speaking aloud didn't earn a response from the maiden but there was a flickering in her energy that gave the female hope that she could in fact hear Mahina somehow. With hands clenched into tight fist Mahina tried to contain her trembles as she muster all her energy into this thin connection she and Cheza were sharing at this very moment.

'_CHEZA!'_ her own voice echoed through her mind rocketing through the muffled sound around like a torpedo through water and traveling from the ground to the sky and right for the ship. When her call had hit its target there was an explosion of white light that on the she-wolf could see. A blinding white light that was Cheza's energy bursting forth, for the female who had called to her the very earth trembled from it and the trees rustled in their place. This was it, Cheza was awake, _fully_ awake! Mahina inhaled sharply when it hit her, it was like before when she had smelt Kiba's blood, her innards screamed at her in joy and excitement and love all the raw emotions of the flower maiden came showering down on her. She relished in it for a moment before her body began to move on its own.

"Wait Mahi where are you going?" Hige's voice finally broke the barrier and reached the females ears. He watch bewildered as the female began slowly walking towards the battle going on, what was she _crazy_? "Don't go that way Mahina!"

"I can feel it" she replied back softly

"Feel it?" Toboe repeated

"Her" Mahina answered with a tremble, her eyes never once left the ship in the sky. She didn't want to wait any longer, she wanted to move she _had_ to move "Her" she repeated herself glancing over her shoulder back at the four of them hoping that the others would understand. Most of them gave her confused looked, they didn't understand. Crimson eyes softened "_Her_" she said it one more time and this time Kiba's eyes shot open and his expression changed as if he had just been hit, he could feel it now.

"Her? What do you mean 'Her'?" Tsume barked getting very agitated with all the little hints, why didn't she just spit it out all ready. "Out with it Mahina!" he barked at her. Another throb came to Mahina and her eyes shot open again, she could wait for them no more, spinning on her heel the female of the pack turned about and took off keeping her eyes locked to the sky.

"Mahina wait!" Hige yelled after her "I'm telling you that's none of our business!" but it was too late, she was too far away and she showed no sign of stopping. It didn't take Kiba much longer to run after her leaving the three of them to decide on what they would do next. "Her, what the hell was she talking about?" the chubby male complained

"Do you think maybe she meant Cheza?" Toboe suggested, the two older wolves with him made faces of apprehension but it did make sense. Sighing to himself Hige grumbled and broke into a run after the two.

Her heart was pounding in her ears now, she would focus on nothing else but the sky above. The ship was finally hit and smoke curled out from the side of it but as it veered to the side and made it's decent to earth a glimmer of light burst free and shimmering away from the crashing ship. It was her! Cheza! Oh Mahina could feel so much joy bubbling within her she could just howl right now. It took a moment of staring but after the moment past Mahina could make her form out, arms spread high over her head and spinning gently in the sky. As she spun her scent was thrown everywhere coating the trees and the ground and the grass and the animals, just _everything_ with the smell of lunar flowers.

"…That scent!" Hige perked up from behind as his nose twitched casting his gaze up to the sky as well now, that diamond twinkling in the sky was exactly what he thought it was, it was Cheza and as the airship she had fallen out of crashed to the earth she gently floated down until she vanished somewhere upon the cliffs the pack had been originally heading for to begin with and so that was where the pack ran to.

The cliff had a road that lead up to the very top, this slowly growing inclined would have been easy to run up but it was just too far away for Mahina's taste. She had to get to Cheza and she had to get to her as soon as possible. As soon as the as the vertical face of the large rock structure was close enough the female pushed off the ground and propelled herself high into the air until she landed on the highest ledge she could reach and gripped the surface of the cliff. She wasn't even really that high up and the wind was already blowing at her harshly.

"Mahina! Wait for us!" Toboe called as the others finally caught up to her, she stopped and looked down at them as they drew closer. Much like Mahina had, Kiba didn't hesitate to leap up and latch onto the side of the cliff.

"What are you waiting for?" Mahina yelled back at the remaining three who kept their feet firmly on the ground.

"Why the _hell_ are we climbing up the side when we can just take the road over there?" Hige yelled back, Mahina couldn't help but roll her eyes at the amber male, of course he wouldn't want to put in too much unnecessary effort.

"Do you want to fight your way up the road and give those _nobles_ time to get to Cheza before we can?" Mahina yelled back, she was met with silence "I didn't think so, now jump! Come on Toboe!" the pup flinched from his place bellow not making any motion that he was going to move even as Mahina extended an arm out to him "I've got you I promise!"

"..O…okay!...here I go…" the copper pup took a few steps back so he could get a running start. He took off running as fast as he could and leaped as hard as he could, even for his best efforts the poor pup didn't jump that high, he went up only a few feet and with limbs flaring about at that. He yelled out in surprise closing his eyes and bracing for the pain of slamming his face against the cliff but a hand suddenly gripped his and he stopped short.

"Careful" The pup opened his eyes and gazed up at Mahina.

* * *

><p>The climb was a quiet one, either because the wind blew too hard to hear one another or because they were too focused on their climbing, Mahina was glad for it. She didn't feel at all in the mood for answering any questions that reflected in the eyes of her pack each time they gazed at her. She knew it was strange for them to see her so...well...impatient but they wouldn't understand this feeling the female had even if she tried to explain it. This sensation of joy that gradually advanced on her the higher up she climbed was almost overbearing. It was Cheza and Mahina knew it, she could feel the maiden's very heart throbbing loudly as if it were beating in her own chest getting stronger and stronger causing the she-wolf's fur to prickle and stand on end fueling an excitement that almost shoved her farther up the cliff.<p>

She was waiting, she couldn't wait to see them the wolves that she could feel drawing closer.

"Mahina!" Mahina paused just as her hand clamped down on the very top of the cliff. She looked back but Hige was so far below that she couldn't actually see him "slowdown! You're going way too fast!" slowdown? Mahina could do no such thing not after a gentle breeze tumbled over the edge of the cliff and the female was bathed in the dazzling scent that was the flower maiden. Her crimson eyes glazed over and she hoisted herself up without so much as a reply to her pack mate "Wha- Mahi!" even as Hige called on Mahina didn't listen, she pushed herself from her hands and knees to her feet and quickly brushed dirt off her knees "Mahina I said wait!...hey are you listening? _Wait_!" she didn't listen and she didn't look back.

All she could do was start walking

So she walked

And she kept walking

And walking

And walking.

Ruins faded from her surroundings and forest took its place after a while of this endless walking. She was getting closer, her very being told her that she was and it made her walk just a bit faster. It was strange though, as she gazed about this forest she hurried through Mahina couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity with it. This place wasn't like any other place the female had traveled through, where one had to depend on their sense of smell to get ones bearings of the area. No, Mahina _knew_ where she was going right down to the point that she could just fainting see her destination if she closed her eyes and tried to imagine it:

A tall ivory structure spouting a beautiful waterfall into a crystal clear lake. Lush green grass that hummed with life under the bright sun, lovely flowers swaying under a gentle breeze. Whether Cheza sent her this image or she took the image from Mahina's mind the she-wolf didn't know nor cared to know. She just wanted to get there, to see Cheza again, to be reunited with what she had spent all her life searching for. Her walking became faster and faster until she started running.

_Her feet were bare pounding against the grass bellow and giggles burst from her throat. Almost forgetting her objective she twirled and ducked behind a tree with a hand over her mouth to hide her giggles. In the distance a deep voice chuckled, it was that same voice as her more recent daydreams and as it drew closer she giggled even more and took off running. She had to beat him, him? Who was him? She was faster there was no way he could beat her, he said himself she was built for speed. The wind howled past her face as she ran causing the white gown she wore to flutter about her person._

_There was a break in the lush trees just ahead of her and it made her grin picking up in speed with hope of getting to her destination much faster. Someone called to her from behind in that familiar deep voice of theirs but she did not stop. Pushing her feet off the ground she lunched herself through the opening and out into the blinding light._

The daze shattered like a glass window and before Mahina knew what had happen she was stumbling into a bright and beautiful garden. It was just as the she-wolf had imagines with its ivory structure and its waterfall, the flowers and place had been easily maintained by Mother Nature and the sun hit the land just right and made the whole scene glow supernaturally. It was not the land, however, that made Mahina become so very rigid once she had entered it. What had stopped her was what she had dove into. It was like the invisible barrier between them had finally tore and there were no secrets between them, the dam that block her off now drowned Mahina in everything that was her. It hit the female like a car hits a brick wall at 300 miles an hour; her joy, her love, her utter devotion, her warm welcome, her bubbling excitement but most of all her scent, her beautiful sweet scent. All of this rushed through Mahina's slender being with such power that the she-wolf had to close her eyes tightly and hug herself as a shudder overtook her. When it passed, and eventually it did, Mahina slowly uncertainly opened her eyes finding the source of such overwhelming feelings.

She stood in the shallow waters with a beauty all her own. The remains of what once bound her in a glass sphere of sleep hung loosely from her wrist and neck and her pale pink hair shimmered under the light of the sun. Her gaze was cast downward to the water she stood in but she must have noticed Mahina because slowly she raised her head. Crimson orbs, for the very first time, gaze into the Rose orbs of this angel and the minute they did Mahina swore she felt her heart burst from with her chest with such force that the female had to clench her chest to settle the feeling. A lump painfully formed in her throat as she opened her mouth to speak, to utter this angel's name.

"...Ch...Cheza?" she was uncertain, it was clear in her voice when she choked the name out. What reason shouldn't Mahina feel uncertain? For years, so many _many_ years she had been running and fighting and searching and killing and howling and hunting for this very moment in time, for the day she would be reunited with Cheza. It could all be an illusion, just some cruel dream but when recognition shimmered in the flower maidens eyes and a lovely smile graced her lips Mahina knew it wasn't a dream. "Cheza" she said the maidens name a bit stronger now, she couldn't contain her joy as she took timid steps forward and tears began forming in her eyes. The maiden responded like a long lost mother, opening her arms wide in welcome. Mahina could not contain herself, with a yelp of joy the she-wolf ran into the maidens embrace dropping to her knees and hugging her round her waist "I looked for you" Mahina whimpered closing her eyes tight and holding on to Cheza for dear life "I looked for you for so long" at first Cheza offered no response, her smile never faltered as she gazed down at Mahina and gracefully glided a hand over her head, her touch felt so good so very comforting "I...I..." Mahina gazed up at the maiden with those teary eyes of hers. Cheza smiled down at her before pulling her closer allowing the she-wolf to rest her head against her body and cling to like a lost child.

"Finally..." she spoke with a voice like a gentle breeze "We reunite once more..." the maiden held onto Mahina a bit tighter and the she-wolf did the same in return "This one…missed your voice...Mahina"

It didn't take Mahina much to revert to her true form and join the maiden as she sat atop some rubble from the human structure that surrounded the garden. She lay at Cheza's side in total submission content with just staying here forever letting the maiden pet her with those magical hands of hers. For the first time in a very long time the female felt completely at peace so much so that if given enough time she would easily fall asleep right here and now if Cheza continued to pet her like this. She took in a deep breath through her nose taking in the scent of lunar flowers that so effortlessly floated from the flower maiden and sighed letting liquid silver orbs drift up and gaze at her. Once again Cheza had her partially opened eyes to the water that submerged her feet as if she had never woken from her slumber but it was obvious to the she-wolf that she had for all that was her had engulfed Mahina. A few minutes of resting at the maidens side had passed before the familiar scent of the pack of wolves the female had so effortlessly left behind slowly began to take to the air. Mahina raised her head at the first sound of their approaching footsteps and voices and she looked in the direction that she had once come from. They stood there in the opening gaping at the sight before them perhaps not believing what they saw was in fact the elusive flower maiden they had spent so long following Kiba in search of. Cheza turned her attention to them as well when she noticed Mahina's movements; the males collectively gained a look of being utterly taken aback.

"It-..It's really her!" Hige muttered in awe

"I think my heart just skipped a beat!" A blushing Toboe mused clenching his fist tightly to his chest. Cheza ran a hand over Mahina's head one last time before standing up turning her body so she faced the gaping group. Kiba was the first to move out of the four of them despite Tsume's ever so cautious nature calling him to stop. As he drew close Mahina pushed herself up to a sitting possession watching him meet the maiden in the water with a look of peace equal to the one that the she-wolf was feeling at the moment.

"…Cheza" Kiba muttered her name, Cheza's eyes grew open just a bit before she smiled and kneeled down to the changed wolf enveloping him in a warm hug like she had Mahina running her delicate fingers over his fur.

"We meet at last"

* * *

><p>"This way…This way"<p>

At smile was growing on Mahina's face every time Cheza opened her mouth and spoke in that angelic voice of hers. She had paused in her steps stopping both Kiba and Mahina and glanced over her shoulder at the three wolves slowly trailing behind them. When she saw that they were still following she turned back around and holding onto their hands tightly walked on pulling Kiba and Mahina with her.

Where she was leading them to Mahina didn't know but she would follow nonetheless.

It was strange, she felt like she knew this place. Perhaps it had been in a dream long forgotten but the she-wolf couldn't help but feel very familiar with the setting that she followed the maiden through. If she focused enough she swore she could see what humans would consider ghost, a figure dressed in white leaning against faded walls or childishly ducking behind tree's and fallen rubble. Sometimes it seemed like they were following the figure through the land and others like it was following them but either way Mahina tried her best to ignore this illusive figure and focus on Cheza. Eventually they found themselves within the keep itself or what was left of it.

"This one has been waiting for you both" Cheza spoke to them suddenly "This one was born right here in this place for that reason" She paused both in words and in steps as they were about to pass an opening in the corridor. Her lovely smile only grew and she hurried into the room leaving Mahina and Kiba to stand in the doorway. "Everyone!" she called out "This one is home-" Crimson orbs gazed into the room and widen slightly, there was no 'everyone' there was nothing but moss and vine and earth covered rubble within the room Cheza had so eagerly entered. She stopped too as if realizing this face "Oh my" she breathed her head hanging where she stood. "There is… no one here anymore…"

"Cheza…"Mahina breathed stepping into the room as well taking in the space beside the maiden and took in the room. Glass tube lay sprawled throughout the room cracked and broken open, whatever had been within was no longer there just as Cheza had said. In the center of the large room a large sphere lay among the rubble dusted over with a mossy green. This place…it use to be a lab!

_The room was colored with a faint green hue, both walls were lined with large tubes filled with pretty white flowers and this sparkling green that she had grown accustomed to._

_He went into this room a lot and would spend hours within, she had always been curious what he did in this room and so today her curiosity had gotten the better of her and she, still not accustomed to this way of walking, stumbled her way into the room. It was such a pretty room too. There all sorts of machines she didn't know the purpose of and of course all the lovely flowers that sat soaked in the green water from within their tubes. Gentle voices whispered from them and danced in her ears, it had been this she realized that had tempted her to see her curiosity met. She gazed about the room in awe until her eyes landed on what rest in the center of the room._

_A large sphere filled with the same sparkling green, hanging within was a lone maiden bound by her hands and neck. Her head was hung and her eyes remained close in what looked to be a peaceful sleep._

"They…" Cheza's voice brought Mahina back from her daze, she blinked her gaze back into focus turning them towards the flower maiden. "They all withered away and died…" she muttered slowly sinking to a kneeling position before the room. "This one…" Mahina knelt beside her wrapping an arm around her shoulder "This one of the only one left…"

"Cheza…" she muttered pulling the maiden so she rest her head on the she-wolfs shoulder. It must be suddenly to sudden feel so alone, Cheza's emotions rolled over Mahina like quiet waves but comforting her would have to come later because the ruins echoed with gunshots. Mahina tensed glancing over her shoulder much like Kiba did.

"Guys we've got big trouble" Hige yelped running into the room with Toboe close behind him and soon Tsume "There's human's all over the place"

"We're surrounded!" Toboe added skidding to a stop, Tsume said nothing to add onto these statements. He simply turned his golden eyes to Cheza and glared. A snarl escaped Mahina's throat and she pulled the maiden closer to her.

"Stop glaring" she warned "none of this was her fault!"

"This is no time to be fighting" Toboe announced before Tsume could growl anything back at the female sparking an argument that would no doubt take hours to end "We've gotta get out of here guys!"

"Where the hell are we supposed to escape to! We're surrounded" Hige barked out

"Mahina…" Cheza tugged on Mahina's sleeve, gently she pulled the she-wolf to a standing position and tugged her farther along the room. "This way…" Mahina glanced over her shoulders at the rest of her pack before turning around and following after Cheza.

"Wait Mahina!" Tsume backed out behind her "Where are you going?" Mahina decided not to answer, instead she trailed after Cheza, the maiden moved across the room to a large gap that lead to another all opposite them and without another word to the others and a deaf ear to their calls the two females rounded the corner and disappeared. Those boys, what fools they could be sometimes. They had gone all this way trusting instincts they hadn't originally been sure were correct without much trouble and now they couldn't simply follow Cheza? But then again as Mahina held onto Cheza's hand and continued to walk the hall quietly she didn't feel like she was really following the flower maiden either.

_Sirens were blaring in her delicate ears causing them to ring. The corridor which usually had a calming deep blue color to it now shined red from the alarm being set off. There were intruders afoot. This place it was dangerous, she didn't know how or why but she knew that much. Loud, horrid noises echoed through the halls that she moved through. Dizzy and disoriented she stumbled about stopping only momentarily to clench her head and lean against the nearest wall. Slender fingers threaded through wet ebony locks and tugged it back and away from her face before she pressed on. She must escape, she must get out of here. Out? But where was out? Did she know where out was?_

_Taking in a deep breath she closed her eyes and tried to calm down. It was starting to come back to her just a bit._

…_Down the hall a room to the left. That was the way, that was where she had to go to escape. Just as she decided this though the loud noise came, only this time it was closer and sounder than before and quicker than she would have like she found out why. A bright light flashed through the hall and before her eyes, white hot metal cut her deep across the face with an impossible to follow speed before grazing the side of her ear and hitting the wall behind her. Sparks flew round her head from the contact and her ear delivered an earth shattering pain before she could hear no sound from it._

_All of this, this sudden and unknown pain that came to her took less than a second and then the real pain came. She hollered loudly bringing her hands to that side of her face unsure of which wound she should cradle. It hurt! It hurt so badly! Why? Why did it hurt so much? What could possibly cause such pain? Settling for gripping her check she looked about the corridor wildly and that was when she saw him. A human dressed all in black, he eyed her with a cold stare that she was not custom to and he had some kind of black thing pointed at her. Even though she didn't know what this item was it must be what had cause her this pain she was feeling and had enough sense to be able to tell that she was in danger. If she didn't do something she would die here and she didn't want to die. She acted on impulse as soon as the human raised his death item higher and looked to be preparing to end her. Her skin prickled and she became utterly tense._

_It all went by in an instant, one moment she was standing on two legs the next thing she knew, as soon as she blinked, she was on all fours and standing at a much lower height than before. That's right! She was a wolf too! She wasn't use to the change but there was no time to worry about that. She charged the human howling loudly and baring teeth ready to rip into the man. Agonizing yells echoed through the hall now and blood splattered everywhere as she, in her fit of rage, ripped this human limb from limb and she didn't stop until his screams faded._

"Mahina!"

"Huh?" Mahina blinked when she heard Kiba's voice and was pulled back into reality. She wasn't standing behind Cheza anymore. As a matter of fact she was standing by herself in the corridor right now, but then where did Kiba's voice come from? The she-wolf glanced about in surprise until she looked behind her. From behind the rubble that littered the hall Kiba poked his head out gazing at her and soon both Toboe and Cheza appeared as well.

"Did you get them all?" the pup question helping Cheza to her feet and stepping out into the open.

"Get them all?" Mahina questioned but then she noticed herself, she gazed down at her hands and gasped. Her hands were caked over with spots of blood and the ground below her feet was soaked red, the hall was choking with the stench of fresh blood and as the female looked around herself again she quickly realized that the lifeless bodies of countless humans lie sprawled out around her "Wha…when did I….?"

"I see you didn't need much of our help" The three looked up at the sound of Tsume's voice, he stood with Hige in the very direction they had been heading.

"We're totally screwed!" Hige spoke stepping approaching everyone in a slight panic.

"What are you talking about" Mahina grumbled as she bundled her sleeve over her hand and wiped at the blood that she could just feel covering her cheeks and mouth, she would not let Cheza see her in such an unsightly manner.

"The humans have that way totally blocked off" Hige answered her motioning path they had originally been walking down. Mahina wasn't very surprised, if she had to guess she would say that these were the humans that Noble had taken Cheza from and apparently they wanted their flower maiden back…too bad for them Mahina wasn't in much a of giving mood and neither way Kiba.

"If we just leave her" Tsume spoke fixing Cheza with a stern look "we could all get out of here easy"

"Forget it!" Kiba snarled out "We're not leaving her behind"

"Well then what do you suggest we do Kiba?" Tsume snapped at the white wolf frustrated "Tell us, what do your instincts say we should do now? Huh?"

"We don't need instincts" Mahina spoke up before the two males began fighting at the worst possible time. Ridding her face of the blood the she-wolf pushed past Kiba and Tsume making her way to Cheza and Toboe "Come on Toboe, let's go"

"Huh?" Toboe blinked watching the female taking Cheza's hand and much like before the pair walked away from the rest of the pack calmly turning to the left into yet another corridor. Toboe looked from the fleeing females to the rest of his friend wearily before turning back around and following Mahina and Cheza.

"This is getting ridiculous" Hige grumbled ruffling his hair for a moment or two before following after the three. Kiba and Tsume glared at one another a moment more as well before breaking into a run and hurrying down the moss covered hall after the rest of their pack. They continued to run through this long corridor until they finally reach what it leads to. The wolves skid to a stop when they reached a lone room, they were trapped.

"What the hell?" Hige barked out, "it's a dead end!"

"What are we gonna do?" Toboe panicked "We're trapped" but Mahina couldn't help but shake her head, they were trapped, they just had to trust Cheza.

"We could always try surrendering" Hige suggested but quickly stepped back and held his hands up in defense when Tsume fixed him with what could be described as a glare of death. "O-or not" he chuckled "I was just kidding!"

Whilst the rest of the pack bickered amongst one another the flower maiden walked farther into the room towards a large tree that must have grown here over the years that this place had been forsaken by humans. She watched as the maiden placed a hand on the tree and suddenly it began moving. Bark and wood twisted and turned curling away from the maidens hand until it formed an open passage way that was ready to be taken.

"This way" Cheza earn everyone's attention again.

"Where did that giant hole come from?" Toboe muttered

"Does it matter?" Hige remarked, wordlessly both Kiba and Cheza passed through the hole into the unknown leaving Mahina, Hige and Tsume behind but not for long, with a low groan the wood began to move again. "Whoa!" Hige yelped "did you see that! It moved!"

"Hurry up and go through" Mahina barked nudging Toboe forward

"Wait!" Tsume barked out reaching out and gripping the female by the wrist stopping her from following Hige and Toboe as they run through the hole. Mahina stopped and looked back at the grey wolf questioningly "We don't even know what's in there!" he yelled at her, Mahina scuffed at the older wolf and yanked at her wrist but Tsume yanked right back keeping her from moving.

"Tsume" She glared at him "let go"

"How can you just blindly trust that thing like this? You could die doing this you know that right?" Tsume said and fixed Mahina with a harder glare than she was giving him. The she-wolf stared back in silence for a moment before yanking her wrist free hard backing up so she stood in the path Cheza had opened for them.

"What would be worst Tsume, dying while following something you believe in or being cornered like a rat and dying at the hands of man?" she asked the male taking him by surprised. It wasn't a matter of knowing that they were going to dye following Cheza blindly like this, so what if they did? It was a hell of a lot better than dying at the hands of the humans, much better. Tsume was running out of time not being able to make up his mind, the sounds of footsteps echoed down the corridor leading to the room and the path was closing into a smaller and smaller hole, if he leapt now Tsume could make it through the hole but if he stalled much longer… "We all die eventually Tsume" Mahina's crimson orbs never left Tsume's golden ones as she told him this.

"The thing most get wrong about life is that it's not about figuring out how to live longer, its deciding how you want to die. So I'm asking you Tsume, do you want to go out as a house pet or a wolf?"

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><p>"Where are those two?"<p>

"They were right behind us a minute ago…Maybe they didn't make it through in time!"

"Giving up on me so soon?" Hige and Toboe turned away from Kiba and Cheza when Mahina spoke up, the pup's worried face lit up and he hurried to the female's side.

"Thank goodness! I thought you didn't make it in time!" Mahina chuckled as the pup latched himself onto her wait. She patted his head and smiled down at him.

"Of course I'd make it in time" she mused "someone has to take care of a runt like you"

"H-Hey!" Toboe barked out but Mahina chuckled on.

"Well? Shall we go now?" she added looking about at her pack, everyone else nodded and soon they began walking through the tunnel again with Cheza and Kiba in the lead and Tsume taking up the back. As they walked the grey wolf eyed the female of their pack curiously.

'_It's about figuring out how you want to die huh?_' he could help but repeat her words in his head and think about them _'interesting way of putting it Scrawny'_


	9. The Forgotten Flower

**A/N:** I do greatly apologize to everyone for my ever so long and uncalled for absence. I only intended to take December off but then one thing led to another and I had to put this off for much longer than I planned. Let me start off by explaining why I stopped posting in the first place. This past November Kobi, my very first dog who I dedicated Lunar Healing to, died. It's probably not the best excuse to go on a month long hiatus and I don't expect anyone to understand but losing him was hard blow for me and I just wasn't in the right state of mind to continue writing to the best of my ability. After December things just kept coming up that distracted me or kept me from really sitting down and writing and then my Christmas break ended and it was back to classes but I've really been pushing in the hours I need to write this chapter. I've very sorry for the long wait but I thank you guys for being patient with me.

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><p><em><strong>Thank you to FlamingIceWolfGirl, Crystal-Wolf-Gaurdian-967, silentmidnightdeath, and wolfishmoon for sending in your reviews, they kept me on track when I strayed a few times.<strong>_

**And to answer your question Wolfishmoon**: This is a KibaXoc pairing what you see between Mahina and the other are basically the relationships she is starting to form with the other pack member like how she's taken up to motherly role towards Toboe. I think Tsume and Mahina's personalities clash too much for them to ever be paired. They have more of a grumpy older brother annoying younger sister relationship.

Oh and I wanted to add in before I forget I have a little something at the end of the chapter, it's nothing special but I hope you guys like it.

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><p><strong>Chapter VIII:<strong> The Forgotten

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><p>With Cheza's guidance the pack was able to escape that ruined castle where the flower maiden was born. By the time they had made it out of the tunnel and were walking along narrow paths carefully it had become nightfall. The dainty maiden moved as though she walked on air as she descended the path with them and though she moved with grace and ease, almost as if she were floating rather than walking, Mahina lingered just to be sure of maiden's safety. It also seemed that now that they were out of danger the rest of the pack was beginning to cast a curious eye towards Cheza. Mahina could see in Toboe's face above anyone's as the pup trailed behind Cheza.<p>

Mahina could not blame the pup for his curiosity, there were things that none of them knew of Cheza nor did any other wolf really. To them she had been a character in a fairytale that would never be but for Mahina she was all too real and the she-wolf was all too familiar with all that was her.

For example, Cheza was blind.

Mahina realized that they didn't know this when she heard Toboe's ever so familiar yelp of distress. She stopped and glanced back to see what had caused him to make the noise only to find the side of Cheza standing dangerously close to the edge of the path they walked down. Her foot hung in the air as if she were about to take another step and plummet to her end but just as quickly as she hung it there she turned in the correct direction and continued on her way as if nothing were wrong. Mahina smiled at the maiden allowing her to breeze past while Toboe breathed out a sigh of relief.

"She can tell?" Toboe looked to Hige, who walked with him, for an answer.

"Well sure" the chubby male replied as if the answer were as obvious to him as it was to Mahina "she's a flower maiden isn't she?"

"Yea…" Toboe knitted up his eyebrows in curiosity "but how?" a silence followed the question and Mahina herself paused to hear what kind of reasoning the all-knowing Hige would come up with for this one. Hige glanced at the pup and then over his shoulder at Mahina, who gave no sign that she would say anything preferring to curve an ebony brow to express her own curiosity for his answer.

"She uses her antennae of course" Hige replied apparently blissfully unaware of how idiotic he truly sounded with his answer

"She doesn't have any of them!" Toboe barked out.

"I know you can't see them or anything" Hige replied in a tone as if he was speaking to a child "but I bet they're there…" the conversation would have probably went on from there but Toboe stopped, he looked past Mahina and so did Hige the both of them grew quiet. Cheza had stopped walking, she was turned back to face them and those her eyes could not see them they stared right at them. Mahina didn't have to look at the maiden to feel her emotions radiating against her skin. For the first time the female felt a sort of caution coming from the maiden, as if she herself were not sure what to make of the wolves she found herself now traveling with. For some reason the idea that she knew nothing about these other wolves made Cheza let off a tense aura.

"She kind of seems on edge around us" Toboe pointed out watching Cheza carefully "but I wonder why"

"Because you're on edge around her" Mahina breathed out casually before reaching up a hand to tuck black hair behind her ear "she can feel it coming from you and it make her just as nervous about you as you are about her"

"And who in their right mind wouldn't be around that thing" this was a new voice and it came all the way from the front of the pack. Mahina tried not to snarl, there goes Tsume about to start a fight that wasn't necessary. He was so very skeptical of everything and everyone no one was very surprised that he didn't trust Cheza at all "She's not a human and she's not a wolf or even a flower" the grey wolf explained himself calmly despite the hard stare the female of the pack directed at him "how the hell are we supposed to trust something like that and even more so because a noble created it." No one answered him, mainly because he had a point in what he was saying.

In the many years that had passed since the world as we humans knew it ended and the earth began its slow, torturous decay the wolf, and those canines with enough wolf still lingering in their veins, had learned one fact that was truly essential to their survival up to now: you only put trust in your own kind, and of your own kind the only ones that should be trusted are those in your pack. Human began hunting wolves until they believed them to be extinct so the human race was a species that was either an enemy or unwelcome company to a wolf. Nobles were humans and if there was anything a Noble loved more than their own power it was the death of the wolves. So, no one could find a valid response to argue to Tsume for he was right. Cheza wasn't human, the obvious enemy, nor was she wolf, the obvious ally, she was technically a flower either so it would be difficult to place when it came to ones line of trust in her, and Tsume was right it definitely didn't help that she was the creation of a Noble. For all they knew she could be a well-designed trap to capture and kill wolves.

"But Tsume" Mahina broke the odd silence earning her stares from all she slid her slender hands into the pockets of her jeans and breezed past Cheza and then Kiba until she stood before the grouchy old wolf "…you did" she pointed out to him and then she also past him continuing down the path without much effort.

"Me? Trust _it_?" the grey wolf snorted at the very thought turning his gaze to follow the female as she walked. His attitude made her stop walking long enough for him to question her "and what makes you think that Mahina?"

"…" Mahina didn't reply at first, she had half a mind to just leave her silence in the air for Tsume to interpret in whatever way he saw fit but she knew him by now, he would only take her lack of an answer as a victor over her and she couldn't have that "…you're here aren't you?" she asked him never once looking back at him "Say what you want Tsume but the fact that you're here means you, somewhere in that grouchy mind of yours, trusted Kiba to lead us in the right direction, Kiba in turn trusted his instincts and his instincts trust Cheza…so indirectly…_you_ trust her too" her sly response earned her a scuff from the male but nothing more and so the conversation of trusting the flower maiden was left were it had started and the pack kept walking.

"Are we really going to take her with us" Tsume continued to complain as they walked

"Yeah" Kiba decided to humor him this time "we are"

"What for? Isn't she a danger to have around?"

"What are you rambling on about _now_?" Mahina groaned, they stopped walking again and once again went on with this fruitless conversation of Tsume's but the grey wolf wasn't at all bothered by the annoyed look Mahina fixed him with this time.

"If she's stinking up the place where ever we go won't that just give away our location?"

"A human's sense of smell isn't that heightened" Mahina informed him before scuffing at him "but I guess a simple house pet wouldn't know that" and there it was, the name calling. From the back of the lineup Toboe groaned and Hige winced for they both knew what would follow as did the rest of the pack. To be honest it was way past due, this argument between the she-wolf and Tsume, they had grown far too civil with one another for it to be considered not weird just yet and with how chaotic things had been today it should have been expected of them. Tsume scowled at the name taking a moment to compose himself before he replied but Mahina gave him no room to do that. "Tell me Tsume" the female spoke on turning fully to face him "are you so use to the life of a human and the dogs around them to understand how important this is?"

"You going to start lecturing me now Scrawny?" snarled Tsume but Mahina showed no sign of feeling threatened by the sound.

"You're a wolf now aren't you?" Mahina replied crossing her arms "you decided that back in those ruins. You should know how important Cheza is"

"Sorry but I don't" Tsume responded

"She's the key" Mahina told him all smugness had left her voice and her body was now utterly tense with her obvious annoyance of Tsume at this point. He had gone fine so far with the idea of finding Cheza and eventually paradise, despite a few hiccups along the way, so why did he decide now when they were a step closer to their goal to not like the idea again. It was pure aggravation. "She'll lead us to paradise"

"I am so _sick_ of that damn word" Tsume growled, the fight would have went on at this point. The pack would have been stuck there in the forest where they stopped just watching these two wolves battle it out with one another like they did so often during the journey but something was different this time, Cheza was here and while Tsume and Mahina growled and snarled at one another the maiden had tipped her head up to the sky with a serine thoughtful look to her lovely face as if her ear could hear something that not even the keen ears of the wolves could. She stayed like this for a moment more before she did something…

She began to hum.

All fighting was stopped and forgotten at the sound of the maiden's song. It was so very soft floating through the air like an unseen phantom of the night air gliding across the space around them and embracing their ears in its mysterious hold. No sooner did the sound hit the pack did its effect kick in. Toboe was first to feel it, it happen so fast one minute he was gazing at Cheza and the next he was stumbling back until his back collided with the side of cliff and he slid to the ground.

"Toboe!" Mahina yelp at the sight of the pup's sudden descent dropping down to her knees to check on him. He kept blinking his eyes furiously as if fighting to keep them open "What's gotten into you?"

"Mahi…" he only faintly seemed to recognize her face "all of a sudden I feel really sleepy…"

"Dammit Toboe don't fall asleep!" Mahina heard Tsume bark from behind her as she watched Toboe slump even more until he lay on the ground totally relaxed with nervous eyes.

"Too late" the pup replied softly "my body is already out cold…" Hige was next to fall, he went out without so much as a fight dropping into a place against the nearest tree and letting his eyes close. It didn't take much more to listening to the tune for the effect to start hitting Mahina.

The she-wolf had been on high alert less than a second ago. Her blood had been pumping ready to battle it out with Tsume like usually but all of a sudden she felt heavy, sluggish even, as if she suddenly found herself moving through sand. Her eyes wanted desperately to close and her head spun slightly, even though she pushed herself up to a standing position her legs wobbled in protest. All of a sudden the female found herself the victim of an urge she never wanted to succumb to: Sleep.

"What's happening?" Tsume yelled out turning his attention to Kiba while Mahina shook her head wildly in an attempt to stay awake. Kiba was slumped against a tree much like Hige was.

"I have no idea what's going on…"the white wolf replied and though he sounded as though he were going to say more no other words came from him. He dropped into a deep sleep and as the sounds of Tsume cursing came to Mahina's ears the she-wolf realized she would not be far behind. No…the nightmares…she didn't want them to come to her again, she was scared, terrified to go back to sleep and she did the only thing she could think to do in that moment of fear and that was to seek the aid of the only other wolf awake.

"…Ts…Tsume" her voice came out soft, weak almost and her legs finally gave out on her. Tsume turned back around just in time to catch Mahina as she found herself falling. She had no energy left in her to hold herself up anymore. Her body fell limp in the grey wolfs hold and her head hung in the air.

"Scrawny!" within her haze she could faintly make out Tsume's voice yelling at her before gently laying her down on the ground.

"…stop…yelling…" she groaned out for her bod told her it was keeping her from what she needed the most right now her eyes started to roll into her head but Tsume shook her when he saw this.

"Stay with me Mahina!" he yelled at her "don't fall asleep! Do you hear me?" crimson orbs found golden ones and even in her haze Mahina could see that even Tsume couldn't fight spell forever. So…they were all condemned to sleep then? So be it, in Mahina's current state she was in no position to fight it anymore. The ground just felt too comfortable, her body too drained, the song Cheza so calmly hummed too soothing of a lullaby.

"I…don't think…I can…"Mahina managed out weakly before her vision blackened and her eyelids became too heavy to keep open and, for once, she allowed sleep to take her without a fight.

The dream Mahina had when she fell asleep wasn't a nightmare though.

_Oh no, it was anything but a nightmare. Slowly Mahina opened her eyes to take in her surroundings. She still lay on her back on the ground like when she fell asleep but instead of being greeted by an endless sea of tree branches above her the female saw endless sky._

_It was a black canvas dotted with millions of glowing sparkling white stars. Mahina marveled at just how many there were but as breathe taking as they were they were dimmed compared to the glow of the full moon. It was so large in its place above her Mahina wouldn't be surprised if she could reach up and brush her finger tips against it. Everything just seemed to glow around her with its own supernatural hue and if the female closed her eyes and listened close enough she could hear the hum of Cheza's song dance all around her. She took in a deep breath and sighed closing her eyes and basking in the moon._

"_It's strange" a new voice broke the peaceful calm around Mahina letting her know that she wasn't alone. She opened her eyes up again and turned her head in the direction of this deep voice. It was now that she took in what she was lying in. Millions of glowing white flowers bloomed around her swaying in the wind, glowing in the moonlight. She may have been imagining it but she could have sworn that the song Cheza sung was coming from the flowers themselves. These flowers…they were lunar flowers…she was lying in a bed of lunar flowers. The females eyes focused on the body lying not too far from her and his familiar voice, she was sure she knew this person but she could hardly make him out among the millions of lunar flowers that grew between them._

"…_What is?" Mahina couldn't help but ask curiously her eyes never looking away from the person or at least what she could see of them._

"_The moon" he answered calmly, from what she could tell he was looking up at the moon as he spoke "doesn't it feel like it's giving you energy?"_

"…" _Mahina didn't reply, she stared at the person for a moment more before turning her gaze back up at the white moon with wonder filled eyes "…I do" she answered "these flowers…do you know what they're nickname is?"_

"_What?" the person with her questioned_

"_Some people call them Lunar flowers" she replied "They only bloom under a full moon and some legends say that the wolf" a small smile came to her lips when the word left her lips "uses these flowers as guidance"_

"_Wolves? Using a flower for guidance?" There was a hint of a chuckle in the person's voice and Mahina too chuckled a bit._

"_It sounds weird I know" she hummed turning her head to look at a flower that loomed over her face "but I think it's true. There's a story the natives like to tell about a maiden born from these flowers. They say that she could lead wolves to some sort of utopia…a paradise for wolves. They say she smelled of these flowers" there was a sniffing sound, Mahina tried not to snort in response to the sound._

"_I don't smell anything" the person replied_

"_We're only human" she replied and chuckled "I'm sure if she was a guide for wolves only wolves could find her scent"_

"_I guess you're right" they chuckled as well._

"_If you listen" Mahina hummed closing her eyes "it kind of sounds like they're singing…doesn't it?" they fell into silence again while the female let the sound into her ears and warm her heart, what was it about this song that was just so calming? Like it could tempt even the feistiest of infants to sleep? Mahina let it circle around her and embrace her, she could almost feel delicate hands ghosting over her head and through her hair in a soothing petting motion. Suddenly she could hear the person besides her shifting in the spot and a shadow loomed over her blocking out the glow of the moon._

"_What was her name?" they asked, Mahina slowly let her eyes open and she found herself staring into the most beautiful azure eye she had ever seen, only one person she knew had eyes like that and sure enough the face that hung over hers was none other than Kiba._

"_Her?" Mahina curved a brow_

"_The maiden born from lunar flowers" Kiba clarified his question. Mahina stared at him in silence, what was the maidens name again?...she knew the name it was there hovering in her mind. Suddenly it came swirling back to her, this name she had forgotten. She took in a breath opening her mouth to speak it._

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><p>"Cheza"<p>

The name left her lips as easily as her on name and in a breathy sigh of a sound that pulled Mahina from her dream. It was as quick as blinking, in fact that was how the she-wolf found herself going from dreaming to awake. One moment she was staring up at Kiba and then she blinked and found herself staring up at Cheza. As if her blind eyes could see Mahina open her eyes and look about curiously Cheza smiled sweetly.

"You are awake" she spoke in that airy tone of hers that calmed any growing panic Mahina might have felt in that instant. Her pale hand brushed over the females head petting her gingerly. The she-wolf allowed the Maiden to continue petting her as she took in her surroundings. She was still lying on the ground like she had been when she had blacked out suddenly but time had apparently past from then and now. The sun was shining in the sky now and the sound of crickets chirping had been replaced by the song of birds. Mahina sat up rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"What…What happen?" she stammered out before yawning and stretching. The only other person in the area beside herself and Cheza was Tsume but the usually grouchy male was fast asleep on the other side of the flower maiden.

"You all looked so tired" Cheza answered watching Mahina as the female crawled over to the grey wolf and loomed over him checking to see if he was okay. His legs twitched in his sleep and every now and again the kicked and moved as if he were running, where ever Tsume was he was a happy wolf that was for sure "So this one sung you to sleep"

"That was you?" Mahina turned back to Cheza red orbs finding rose, the maiden nodded her head to this. So it had been that song she had hummed last night that had all of them suddenly falling asleep, it must have been Cheza too that cause Mahina to have such a peaceful dream for once and for that the female was grateful. "Where are the others?"

"Hige and Toboe went into town" Cheza answered turning her head in the direction that the smell of humans came from "Kiba is looking for a way for us to leave"

"I see" Mahina nodded, so where did that leave her? What should she do now that she was awake? She could stay here and watch over Cheza….but knowing Hige and Toboe those two were getting themselves into some kind of trouble. Mahina stared at Tsume's sleeping form in quiet deliberation over what to do, he was here…and even if he didn't like Cheza Mahina didn't think he'd leave her to die if there were danger… "Stay here with Tsume, okay?" Mahina told the maiden before getting to her feet and sprinting off towards town.

Luckily neither the chubby male nor pup were that hard to find.

There were three distinct scents floating through the air around Mahina as she breezed past people and vendors selling fruits and other things humans needed to survive. There was he sweet smell of lunar flower, Cheza's scent, the stench of humans, that one was obvious enough for the she-wolf was surrounded by them, and lastly the scent of wolf. With her keen nose Mahina followed the smell shoving her hands into the pockets of her jacket and turning smoothly into an ally where the scent lead her, she was following Hige's scent right now for Toboe's smelled too much like human to begin with so though picking it out while walking through a crowd of them wasn't hard it was easier to follow Hige's. Her shoes made no sound as she walked down the dirty ally and soon came upon the two wolves walking just a bit faster than a casual stroll. Mahina curved a brow when she saw this and too sped up her walk to catch up to them.

"What are you two doing?" he voice broke the quiet. Toboe yelped loudly jumping just a bit higher than Hige did and both males turned to face her.

"Mahi" the pup sighed in relief when he saw her "it's you" the female didn't respond at first, her eyes immediately went down to what the pair were holding in their arms. Hige was holding something pink close to his chest though Mahina couldn't exactly tell what it was and Toboe gripped something with fur so tightly, shook so much that the she-wolf wasn't sure if he was holding a piece of fur or strangling an animal.

"Was it you that was following us?" Hige asked getting Mahina's attention again.

"Following you?" she repeated, was that why they were walking so fast? She shook her head "I only just found you both…why? Are you being followed?" she glanced behind her and down the empty alleyway but saw no one. Even though she didn't see anyone her nose definitely told her someone was there and close enough to not just be a random person nearby.

….This scent…

"I told the runt that he was just being paranoid" Hige remarked though Mahina gave no sign that she was paying attention to his words. The chubby wolf ignore the glares Toboe sent him and spoke on "but he insist that we're being watched"

"Well we probably are" Toboe barked out "I mean with the humans looking for the flower maiden why wouldn't we be?"

"If it was one of those nobles I'd know" Hige replied smugly scratching at his nose "This nose of mine would have caught the scent of them before they could even find us"

"Well you never know-"

"Go back to the others" Mahina suddenly spoke ending the feud between the two and taking them by surprise and the turned away from each other to look at her. She was still looking behind her down the way she had just come from with a hard to read look in her eyes. Of course she wouldn't have notice this scent until now, it had been masked by the others while she was walking through the crowds.

"What? But Mahi-" Toboe took a step towards the she-wolf but she shook her head turning back the way she came from in a smooth motion.

"Don't worry about me" she spoke over her shoulder "I'll be there shortly" and with that she walked away her hands still deep in the pockets of her jacket.

She walked at a slow pace as if she were oblivious to the fact that she was being followed. Her ears could pick up the sounds of someone trailing behind her, who ever had been following Hige and Toboe was now following her. As she walked she kept glancing back but she couldn't see who was following her… even so she still knew who it was.

Mahina waited until she had drawn the person far from Cheza and when they were she turned quickly into an ally way, Within seconds of turning into the ally the thumping of feet in a hurry to catch up could be heard and the person looked about wildly for her but Mahina was already standing behind the person as they looked about the dead end ally. The person was blonde wearing a white coat and their scent was unmistakable. Taking in the person's appearance Mahina sighed crossing her arms.

"Cher" the person jumped at the sound of Mahina's voice and turned around revealing that they were indeed Cher the scientist from the dome city. The she-wolf stared at the human blankly not at all surprised she was here, of course she would be here with Cheza so close.

"Mahina" the woman mused, her voice laced with shock.

"You should never have come" Mahina wasn't going to dance around that fact. The scientist would have been much better off in the long run if she had just stayed home with her broken marriage and test tubes.

"I had to!" Cher protest instantly "I've spent so much time studying Cheza I can find her and get her back!" Mahina suppressed a slight growl at this, it was probably because of Cher the humans got so close yesterday. "But where have you been?" Cher brought Mahina back to the current situation "When Cheza was taken you disappeared, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here for the same reason you are" Mahina answered "for Cheza"

"Then you have to come with me" the woman took a couple of steps towards Mahina "they think that you're the one who took Cheza…" When Cher reached a hand out to take Mahina's the she-wolf stepped back and away from her, crimson orbs never straying from Cher's blue ones. The air became still between them and realization crossed the human's face. "Mahina" she breathed "You…"

"You should never have come" the female repeated herself continuing to create distance between the two of them "There is far too much that you don't understand"

"You have her don't you?" Cher just would not step down even under Mahina's sternest glare "Where is Cheza Mahina. Tell me!"

"…Go home Cher" Mahina replied but if she had thought to say anything more Cher had silence the idea.

"No!" she yelled shaking her head "not without learning the truth!" at this Mahina stared at the human hard, the truth? She wanted to learn the truth? Ha! How could she possibly hope to learn such a thing when her calculating eyes couldn't even see Mahina's true form? The thought of Cher's goal almost made the she-wolf laugh but instead she gained a sullen look of sympathy.

"If you can't see it by now" she breathed while shaking her head "you may never see it" Mahina turned round and began walking out of the ally "save yourself the trouble and go home" she called over her shoulder "live out the rest of your days in ignorant bliss"

"Wait!" Cher yelled after Mahina as she turned round the corner and out of the human's view "Mahina!" but by the time Cher had stepped out of the ally the she-wolf was gone.

Ah to live life like Cher might have been a good life indeed. Cher was just above typical humans when it came to awareness of the things around her but even her knowledge was limited. She was teetering on the very edges of a very aware existence though, one that may surely destroy her in the long run if she didn't turn back now.

Mahina hoped that Cher would heed her advice but something told the female she wouldn't.

_It would seem_, thought the she-wolf as she watched Cher from her perch on the roof of one of the nearby buildings, _that we are fated to meet again Cher_. Mahina gave the woman one last look before going about her way.

The pack was still where Mahina had left them. Hige and Toboe had successfully returned and apparently so had Kiba. Tsume had woken from his sleep and when Mahina had come to a stopped she found a very interesting sight.

The rest of the pack watched as Cheza pranced about the forest opening dressed in… pink boots?

"What is this?" Mahina mused curiously tilting her head as she felt the fondest of grins coming to her lips. The tense air that shrouded everyone over the flower maiden's presence had lessened a great deal and a light hearted sense of joy gently rolled off Cheza and left a tingle on the she-wolf's skin. Cheza stopped her dancing about and spun round so she was facing Mahina, her rose eyes brightened and a wide smile graced her lips. She bounded over to Mahina and grasped her hands "Cheza?" Cheza continued to smile pulling at the She-wolf's hands.

"Mahina" her voice a light laugh to them "Come" it didn't take much for Mahina to understand the maiden's motives and she immediately shook her head.

"Oh Cheza no" Mahina shook her head but Cheza simply ignored her and continued to tug at her hands "Cheza- Ch-Cheza no- Cheza!" but still Cheza didn't listen, she pulled Mahina with her and with a light sort of giggle began dancing about again forcing the female to as well, much to the packs amusement and the she-wolf's dismay. Hand in hand the two spun about in such a carefree manner it was hard to believe, for a moment, that they were being sought out by armed humans.

Mahina stumbled about with Cheza bashfully, the female may be a lot of things but a dancer certainly was not one of them. She gazed toward the four males watching with a fleeting look and a silence call for help but no one stepped in nor did they look like they would ever have plans to. Instead Mahina was met with a few chuckles and the most amused Azure eyes she'd ever seen, goodness did Mahina turn scarlet because of this. Then, suddenly, Cheza stopped dancing and the joy circling around the group stopped, the air abruptly became tense and those within became stiff.

They had company.

Cheza brow knitted and her eyes widened gazing past Mahina at the path behind her. Mahina looked over her shoulder to see who this intruder was. They took the form of what looked like an elderly woman, her skin was wrinkled and sagging like most do at such an old age and her shoulders and head were adored with a ripped and tattered shawl. She walked carefully with a wooden cane in an odd sort of grace that left everyone staring at her with curiosity. However, she drew too close to Cheza for Kiba's comfort and before she could get far the white wolf stepped forward standing between Cheza and the woman, Mahina added onto this form of protection by circling the maiden into her arms and holding her close like a child.

"Who are you?" Mahina questioned

"…you are wolves…" her voice sounded as old and decrepit as the earth they walked on and it took everyone by surprise.

"Old lady" Kiba gave the old woman a hard look as he said this "who are you?" this time it was more of a demand than a question. If this woman knew what they were, if she could so easily see the truth than the whole pack could be in danger if they didn't find out who she was and what her purpose was in being there. Instead of speaking her name the woman simply removed the dark glasses that covered her eyes from her face. She raised her head a bit higher than before and opened her eyes fully. A strangled gasped trapped itself in Mahina's throat when her crimson eyes took in the rose color of this old woman's. They were a rose color similar to Cheza if not just a bit darker. This woman….this old woman was no human and for reasons unknown to the she-wolf she didn't give off much of feel of being a threat to them. Mahina stepped back from Cheza and released her hold on the maiden.

"…Tell us" she breezed past Kiba easily and stood before the woman "who are you?"

"The Hanabito….is what they use to call us…"

"Hanabito" Mahina repeated softly drawing in just a bit closer to the old woman. Hanabito…why did that sound so very familiar? A gentle breeze rolled through the air and the woman's scent tickled at the she-wolf's nose. This smell…this woman was definitely no human, she was a flower. "…yes" Mahina breathed out closing her eyes and taking in the smell, it was so faint she could hardly catching in the breeze even though she was so close "I can tell from your scent"

"But" heads turned to look at Cheza "you are not like this one"

"That is true" The Hanabito confirmed "You are not like my kind…you… are a perfect creation…"

"Perfect creation?" there was something in what the Hanabito was saying as she gazed past Mahina and at Cheza. Staring into this old creature's rose eyes was the complete opposite of staring into Cheza's. While the maiden's gaze left comfort and a sense of security from all things bad this woman, this Hanabito, stared as if she knew something more than what she was saying and there was some greater, tragic tale she had yet to offer them. For a moment Mahina thought this creature was staring at her and not Cheza and the very thought made the she-wolf shudder and cast the idea aside.

"You must know" The Hanabito continued "I have been waiting for you all this time"

"Wait!" Hige nose twitch and he spoke up ending the conversation between them "that stench…"

"I've got a feeling we shouldn't stick around here any longer" Tsume voice and of course they were right. Unlike the Hanabito, humans could hardly travel without giving themselves away one way or another and for creatures like wolves their hard to miss scent was like a loud alarm blaring in the distance. Somehow the humans had found them and they were closing in on their location.

Wordlessly the Hanabito turned around back the way she had come and began to leave slowing down just enough for everyone to understand that she wanted them to follow.

"Let's go" Mahina mused turning to her pack and holding out a hand for Cheza to take.

"Now hold on a second" Tsume grumbled out, as was expected of him at this point, his hands were clenched into fist and he looked angrier than ever "You're not going to trust that thing are you?"

"Why not?"

"It could be leading us straight into a trap!"

"You truly do have little faith in everything don't you Tsume?"

"You guys" Toboe stepped between two glaring wolves, this wasn't exactly the best time to be starting an argument over something as simple as leaving immediate danger "cut it out will you?"

"We don't have much choice" Kiba reasoned "let's go"

So they did.

The Hanabito, despite looking very old in looks and earlier behavior, moved rather fast through the forest as she took the lead in escaping the humans chasing them. Though no one could see her feet as she ran she moved in a gliding sort of motion equivalent to Cheza in style and speed. The flower maiden herself kept up with the pace with no trouble at all and Mahina kept up to her just as easily. After her came Kiba, then Toboe, then Hige and taking up the rear as always was Tsume and together the seven of them moved with remarkable speed through the thick woods.

They leapt clean over gathering roots and zipped around trees gliding over small hills as if they were flat ground and tearing through pushes as if they were nothing but air, at the pace they were going to was surprising that the humans tailing them were still able to keep up with them. Soon the Hanabito lead them to the base of a wide, very tall, very old looking tree covered in thick moss and wild flowers. She opened up a door hidden among the trees roots and Cheza breezed in followed by everyone else, when the pack as a whole had crossed the doorway she too entered and closed the door behind her.

For now they were safe

* * *

><p>"I felt them within my body. The terrible events that accorded and those Hanabito, which were the unfortunate and imperfect ones, had no choice but to wither and die…"<p>

The inside of the great tree that they had escaped into was nothing like its ancient looking outside. The inside looked very modern if not exactly like one would expect a humans home to look like. There was a great widow in this hidden home and it was in its sill that Mahina choice to perch herself once they had settled down. Cheza sat no far from her in the only chair in the room and the Hanabito kneeled before her like a loyal servant to a noble queen. Though her crimson eyes were fixed in a gaze outside the window she sat in Mahina looked at nothing and her ears only heard the Hanabito's words. She must be speaking of the unfortunate events that befell the castle they had just escaped yesterday and they thought of this brought Mahina back to those hazy visions she had fallen to while they tried to flee. Could it have been the faint memories of this Hanabito as she escaped the castle? ...no…no… it felt too familiar, too real to be someone else's memory and in one of them the person escaping had turned into a wolf and attacked her attackers…this Hanabito, this imperfect being, most likely could not shift.

"I was fortunate enough to escape from the castle and in the forest at the foot of the mountain I stayed in hiding for a long, long time and before I knew it I was left all alone… Even if you know nothing about yourself, _I_ do."

This got Mahina's attention and she turned her head around to gaze at the kneeling flower her brow knitting in bewilderment. The Hanabito looked at no one as she spoke, her head was hung and her gaze fixed on the floor of the room. Words came from her but it almost looked as though her mouth never moved. So, this creature truly did know more than she had previously told them.

"I know you very well indeed…"

"All this time this one has been asleep and waiting…waiting for _them_…" in the dim light of the room Cheza's rose eyes flickered to Mahina briefly and the she-wolf offered her the smallest of smiles. Though they sat too far apart to touch in the unspoken connection between them their energies touched holding firm to one another in a loving manner shared between sisters.

"The wolf seeks out the flower, the flower seeks out the wolf" Mahina gazed at the Hanabito once again "that which is in between seeks out both…and yet no matter how you feel you must not go with them"

"What?" what the hell was she saying?

"…but why?" Cheza questioned as well

"It will only lead to destruction" the Hanabito answered

"Are you crazy?" Kiba barked out from where he stood behind the chair Cheza sat in but he was met with a venomous glare, one that Mahina would never expect to see on the face of a creature born of flowers, imperfect or not, it rattled the she-wolf slightly as the Hanabito hissed just as venomously in response.

"I wasn't talking to _you_ wolf" she replied. Something about her voice breathed hate into the air and some underlining feelings seemed to be surfacing for everyone to see. There was a sort of distaste for those who stood with Cheza and above all a possessiveness that Mahina recognized all too well. She did not like the way things were going at the moment.

"Come on Cheza" Kiba spoke up after what felt like hours of silence and hard looks "Let's go" but Cheza did not move, her stayed locked on the Hanabito before her and her face remained calm despite the hostility boiling up around her.

"…the faintest scent a flower can offer is all I have to offer and soon that too will fade"

"What must this one do then?"

"You have the ability to sustain the life of a Hanabito" the old flower explained "stay here…"

"Don't listen to this Cheza" Kiba couldn't hold his tongue any longer but once again the Hanabito breathed out a angered hiss and she raised her head even higher than before to offer the white male an all out look of hate and anger.

"_Wolf_" her voice easily silenced Kiba and her tone made Toboe tremble where he stood. Carefully he inched closer to Mahina as his nerves got the better of him "What could you hope to achieve by taking this precious girl with you?"

"…to get to paradise" the Hanabito shifted her gaze, rose orbs fell to Mahina and surprisingly her glare and angry expression softened a bit "We're…we're going to paradise" Mahina explained their motives in a soft voice, it was obvious at this point that raising ones voice at this fading flower would do nothing more than aggravate her. She was already leaving Toboe weary Mahina didn't want her to strike anymore fear in the pup she now considered her cub. They stared at one another in a long silence before Tsume showed signs of life.

He twitched before standing up straighter and glancing towards the window with a slight glare. The others looked as well but all Mahina could do was sigh. Someone had found them once again but this wasn't the armed humans they had run from earlier. Judging by the sounds of their footsteps this was one person and their scent was anything but welcome. Breaking her eye contact with the Hanabito the she-wolf turned around and glanced out the window as well. There were someone slowly making their way towards the tree they hid in and it took staring at them for a second for Mahina to realize who it was.

"Who is that?" Toboe muttered poking his head from over Mahina's shoulder staring at the person.

"That scent" Hige's nose twitched as he took in the scent "I smelt it at the castle too, I've see that woman before I just can't remember where"

"Her name is Cher" Mahina remarked with a hitch of agitation towards the woman for not listening to her. Damn humans, they're so stubborn sometime. "She was the scientist from that dome city, she was studying Cheza before that noble took her"

"Well why the hell is she all the way out here?" Tsume questioned

"Why the hell do you think Tsume?" Mahina remarked rolling her eyes briefly before returning her focus to Cher from where she stood outside their hiding place "I don't know how but she's tailing us. The last time I saw her I had led her to the edge of the other side of town"

"We need to get out of here, come on Cheza" Kiba spoke up.

It was agreed that the pack couldn't hope to sneak past the woman so it was decided that while the rest of the pack boxed the woman off Kiba would get Cheza out of there. Hige, Tsume and Toboe easily surrounded Cher dropping down from the trees above.

"You three…you're those boys!" the woman recognized them easily within minutes of spotting them. She glared furiously at them "What's going on! Tell me!" she would have questioned them on but fell silent when her eyes spotted what she had been looking for this whole time. Kiba had emerged from the tree holding onto Cheza's hand "Cheza!" Kiba acknowledged Cher briefly before taking to the sky pulling Cheza with him the others ran after them leaving Cher behind "wait! Cheza!" the blond moved to give chase but an animalistic snarl stopped her in her tracks.

Suddenly the largest dog she'd ever seen came into view and it was charging at Cher. Immediately the scientist cried out holding her hands up in hopes of protecting herself from the animals attack but she felt no teeth biting into her flesh like she expected. There was nothing but silence and after realizing that she wasn't under attack Cher lowered her arms.

"You're starting to see it now…aren't you?" standing where that dog had been….no it was too big to be just a dog, where that _wolf_ had been was none other than Mahina. She was fixing Cher with a blank stare the woman was more or less familiar with at this point. Her brow wrinkled and for a moment Cher thought she saw disappointment in the girl's eyes.

"Mahina…" the blond muttered, she took a step towards the girl but to her surprise Mahina bared inhumanly sharp teeth and a feral growl rumbled up her throat making the woman stop in her tracks.

"You've served your purpose here" Mahina snarled out as if she were a…a wolf! "It's not too late Cher, go home!" but she couldn't go home! There was nothing there for her anymore! She saw it! She saw Cheza standing and running and smiling! There was no way she could go back! She would have told Mahina this but before she could the girl whirled around and her feet were off the ground in a glorious, inhuman leap. Cher gaped at the very sight of it watching as the girl she had met days ago landed on the ledge Cheza had moments ago. The two stared at one another for a moment more but once it passed Mahina took off.

There was uneasiness in Mahina when she rejoined the pack and they, as a group, escaped into the city. She couldn't put her finger on it but from behind her there was a wave of sorrow and it, as a result, made her sad though she didn't know why. As she ran there was a lump forming in her throat and it took almost everything in Mahina to swallow it down. Why even though she ran with her pack did she feel so alone? It was a faint emotion but it brushed against Mahina's heart enough for the she-wolf to recognize it. It was a feeling of abandonment, of knowing that now there was no hope…but why should she feel this when Cheza had been all Mahina had ever hoped for. For the female and her pack of males there was nothing but hope and good fortune now that they had Cheza….so then why did she feel a sense of sorrow tugging at her?

"She is crying…" Cheza spoke up suddenly, her voice was softer than normal, she stopped running and so did the rest of the pack. Mahina turned around to face the maiden and as she took in the slight shake of Cheza's shoulders a wave of sorrow radiated off her sending a slight chill down Mahina's spine. Was it Cheza's sorrow she had felt?...an odd silence came to the group as they watched Cheza silently. No, the emotion Mahina felt from Cheza was uneasiness but the sorrow was different from what had reached the she-wolfs heart. This sorrow was from someone barely familiar to Mahina but Cheza's words gave Mahina a small hint as to who it might be "…she will wither away…"

"…The Hanabito…" even Mahina barely heard her own words but she knew she said them. Muttering the fading flowers name suddenly made the sorrow more apparent to Mahina, it was like opening a door allowing the faint emotion more reach. It circled its fingers around Mahina's very heart and before she knew it the she-wolf was gripped but the Hanabito's sorrow.

For many years she had been here all alone. When the castle had been attacked and Cheza had been taken she had been the only other living thing to escape her glass cage and flee the castle. She stayed far away while one by one she felt the others begin to wither from lack of care until one after another they faded into nothing and died. Each loss was worse than the last until she could no longer feel them. When the very last one faded she knew she was alone, she was the last one to survive, the last imperfect flower, the very last Hanabito. She had waited many many years for Cheza to return to the castle, she knew that one day the perfect one would, and that in her withering state the perfect one would be able to keep her alive but because of the wolves she would not…now there was no hope for her, for this forgotten flower, this Hanabito….she would fade like the others and she would die. This tale washed over Mahina's heart like heavy rain and suddenly the female could understand why Cheza was so sad. The Hanabito was all that was left and though she was imperfect compared to Cheza she was still born of flowers, she was still the maidens sister and when she died Cheza would be the last flower, she would be all alone…

"Do you mean the old lady?" Kiba inquired looking from Mahina, who now held her hands against her chest, to Cheza who nodded her head subtly.

"…Kiba…" Cheza raised her head looking towards the pack leader "can this one stay with you?...is it alright that this one stays with you?"

"Cheza you have to stay with us" there was no hesitation in Kiba's response and Mahina knew she didn't have to look at him to know that he had a very determined look on his face. With Kiba's confirmation the maiden turned to Hige with a hopeful look in her eyes.

"Hige?"

"Sure why not?" the chubby male responded with a chuckle and a nod of his head "When you're on a journey like this the more the merrier right?"

"Toboe?" Cheza turned to the pup next and of course Toboe greeted her question with a smile and a nod so the maiden turned to the grumpiest of them all. The maiden stared into Tsume's golden eyes or a long time before either of them spoke a word to the other "…Tsume?" silence followed Cheza words and now everyone stared at Tsume with expectation. The grey wolf scuffed crossing his arms.

"…fine you can tag along" he looked away from the maiden's gaze "if it gets us to where we're going I can put up with you"

"….." a look of relief came to Cheza's face for moment but then she looked anxious. Slowly she turned to the last of the pack that she hadn't addressed yet with a nervous yet hopeful look on her face. "…Mahina?" the she-wolf was startled at first and she found herself at a loss for words.

"Cheza" the female breathed out reaching out and taking the maiden's hands "I would have it no other way" she smiled giving Cheza's hands a gentle squeeze _'where ever it is you decide to go'_ she thought _'I will always be by your side'_ as if she had gotten the message Cheza's eye brightened and the young maiden squeeze her hands as well allowing a smile to grace her face.

"This one would like to go back" Cheza announced tearing her eyes from Mahina's and looking around at everyone "to say goodbye"

"You guys look for somewhere we can hide out until things calm down" Mahina instructed "Kiba and I will go back to the Hanabito with Cheza"

"Huh? Kiba gets to go with you and I get stuck with Mr. Grumpy and the runt?" Hige groaned out the two wolves under subject glared at the chubby male while the younger of the two grumbled that he's 'not a runt' under his breath. These went unnoticed by Hige as he continued on with his rant while Mahina fixed him with an arched brow "how come Kiba always gets to go with you Mahi?" Mahina tried not to snort out a laugh at this question, he was joking right?...the amber wolf and slender female stared at one another for a moment more….oh…he wasn't joking…

"Hige" Mahina released Cheza's hands and turned to face Hige with her hands on her hips "the last time I teamed up with you I ended up in a cage"

"Hey that was one time!" Hige pouted but Mahina snorted rolling her eyes "and you know it wasn't like they were going to kill us anyway" he added casually rubbing the back of his neck as if that whole ordeal had been nothing to him. How could so carelessly brush what had happen to them off like that? "You heard them yourself, they were going to make us a breeding pair, that doesn't sound too bad"

"How does that not sound bad!" Mahina bellowed her fair skin immediately turning to a shade of red that matched her crimson eyes at the very thought of mating with…with Hige her face heated up even more and Mahina immediately turned away crossing her arms "Being stuck in a place like that with you of all wolves"

"H-hey" Hige tried his best to pout but he was too busy laughing at Mahina's expense to do so successfully. To his eyes Mahina was looking more like a typical wolf than a female Kiba, she was embarrassed at the thought of mating. Whether it was because of him or the very idea of it Hige didn't know but the whole matter was laughable to him "why'd you say it like that?" he chuckled out "oh I get it you would rather it be someone else wouldn't you?"

"Wha-…Hige!" Mahina snarled out running at the chubby wolf but he easy side stepped her and stood behind Toboe making the pup a living shield "cut it out!"

"Would you rather breed with the runt here?"

"Hige!" Mahina shrieked in disbelief while Toboe looked between the two curiously.

"But I don't even know what that means?" the youngest of the pack spoke up hoping that one of them would explain it to him. Mahina's already red face deepened in its shade until it was a burning scarlet color and Hige looked at Toboe in disbelief.

"You really don't know anything do you runt?" he spoke and then grinned "alright I'll tell you!"

"Hige!" Mahina snarled out reaching across Toboe to grip the chubby wolf's neck with a tight grip. Whatever it was Hige was going to say next only came out as a strangled sound as he gripped Mahina's hand with his own.

"Relax Mahi I was just kidding-ack!" Hige choked out but Mahina wouldn't let go while poor Toboe tried to calm the female from his place squished between the two "Okay okay! You can have your alone time with-ACK!"

"Quiet joking around!" Mahina tighten her grip

"M-Mahina! Stop!" Toboe tried to jump in casting a worried look towards Hige "Hige's turning blue!"

"Then I'll make sure he turns_ purple_!"

"Mahi!" Toboe yelped, Mahina would have indeed continued to choke the life out of the chubby wolf of the pack. She really did intend to keep her tight grip until his face went from blue to purple even as Toboe begged her to let go. Toboe was failing in getting her to let go so there was no way anyone else could get her to stop but something did. It was a sound, a very light one at that but it was hard to miss.

It was a laugh

It started out faint but grew within minutes of starting until it gained everyone's attention. Even Hige, who was busy trying to keep himself from passing out, turned his head in the direction of the laugh and so did Mahina. A large and getting larger smile grace the flower maiden's lips and she was laughing. Even though her eyes could not see the scene playing out before her she certainly knew what was going on and it sent the maiden into a fit of laughs and giggles and her amusement came off of her in waves so strong Toboe's cheeks went red from the bit of it he pick up on. It was too much for Mahina to handle, she chuckled as well releasing Hige's neck to the amber wolf's relief.

"This one…" Cheza giggled out "this one is glad to stay with all of you…" the air around the pack was much lighter now and any tension was easily forgotten "Everyone…this one cannot wait to find paradise"

* * *

><p>It was hard keeping watch for Cheza while the Hanabito was fading like she was. Ever since Mahina had let in the flowers emotions she could sense the Hanabito's very life force fading. It was like staring at a slowly dimming ember and though one thought it was going to keep glowing on and on it was getting dimmer and dimmer. Mahina could hardly manage to sit through this one she couldn't imagine how the Hanabito was able to sit through feeling all of the others fade like this over and over again. It soon became too much to take and Mahina had to move away from the tree but even as she stood so far away she could still feel the Hanabito's energy as it pulsed again and again and again but it was different now…with each pulse it was steadily becoming weaker, Mahina was no fool…she knew what this meant. As if sense her distress Kiba pushed off the tree trunk he had been leaning against and slowly approached Mahina stopping when he stood beside her. The pair glanced at one another before Mahina quickly turned her gaze to the ground.<p>

"…She's fading fast" she told the white wolf "…Cheza will stay with her until the end, it won't take long now"

"You can feel all of that from Cheza?" Mahina didn't have to look up to know Kiba was staring at her, his gaze was burning holes into her as they spoke. At first she didn't want to tell him the truth but when the silence settled in and Mahina chance looking Kiba's way she could tell that she would eventually have to tell the white wolf the truth. Slowly, she lowered her gaze again and shook her head.

"I can feel it from the Hanabito" she confessed bringing a hand to her chest until she clenched the fabric of her blouse, the pulse was getting even fainter now…yes she would be gone very soon. Kiba didn't say anything in response to this confession but when Mahina's crimson eyes met his Azure gaze she could see the unspoken question he wanted to ask "it's like feeling your heart slowly stop beating in your chest" she explained closing her eyes and letting the fading creatures emotion come to her like Cheza's did so easily "she's accepted her fate…she knows she doesn't have much time left but still…there a sorrow coming from her…a sullen peace…" she would have explained more but all of a sudden the pulse became too faint to find. Mahina fell into silence and focused on the fainting energy of the Hanabito, she reached for as if she were reaching into complete darkness her fingers brushed faintly against the fading flowers energy and in the darkness hands touched. Behind Mahina's closed eyes she saw a beautiful creature bathed in all white, her hair was wondrously long and she glowed with such a bright light that the she-wolf couldn't see her face. Still of anything Mahina could make out of this lovely creatures face it was a forming smile.

'_I am glad…to have met you…I will pray for your safety'_

This voice…it belong to the Hanabito. She looked so young and beautiful as if the clock had turned back for her. She grasped tightly onto Mahina's hand giving it a gentle squeeze. Above the Hanabito a speck of light broke the darkness slowly growing until it shined down on the both of them and Mahina's ears were graced with the song she recalled Cheza singing last night. However it wasn't just one voice singing, no it was millions of them chorusing together in a beautiful harmony.

'_Voices?'_ the she-wolf gaze up at the Hanabito with wide curious eyes, the flower was being drawn in by the light and soon she grew too high for Mahina to keep her grasp on her hand.

'_The flowers'_ the Hanabito explained _'they're singing….they're always…singing'_ long, slender arms reached out from the light and circled the Hanabito in a welcoming embrace, she allowed the light to consume her as her voice faded from Mahina _'but people…never seem to notice…'_ with those last words the light disappeared and left Mahina alone, she no longer felt the Hanabito. Mahina opened her eyes and took in a shaky breath, why did it feel like part of her heart had died along with her?

"…She has faded….she's gone" just as Mahina let the words leave her the door to the hidden house in the tree opened and Cheza stepped out. There was a pause between the three as both Mahina and Kiba turned around to watch what the flower maiden would do next. Cheza did nothing at first, she simply stood in the doorway with her blind gaze to the ground, Mahina was the first to approach walking half way until she was just three or so feet away from Cheza. "…" they stood like this for another pause "…Cheza…" that was all Cheza needed, she closed the rest of the space between the two of them and wrapped her delicate arms around Mahina's waist burying her face into Mahina's chest. Almost immediately the she-wolf's blouse was damp from Cheza's tears and for a second, as the she-wolf placed a hand on Cheza's head and wrapped an arm around her shoulders pulling her close, Mahina too let tears shed. Two large tears ran from her crimson eyes and Mahina let them fall, for once she wanted to cry for the loss of something, for the loss of the Hanabito who'd lived so long being alone.

"Mahina…" Cheza held onto Mahina tighter pressing her face even deeper into the she-wolf's blouse and Mahina in turn held the maiden even tighter.

"I know Cheza…I know" She breathed running a hand over Cheza's head "at least you could be there for her in the end…at least she didn't die alone…" Cheza nodded her head to this.

"This one is ready"

That was all the two wolves needed to hear from Cheza was that she was ready, their journey to paradise truly started right then.

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><p><strong>An:<strong> so here, at the end of the chapter, I'm going to start putting in a little underinfo for you readers. This first one I wanted to tell you guys a little about Mahina.

Mahina is a Newfoundland wolf.

Newfoundland wolves are a subspecies of grey wolf once found on the islands of Newfoundland off the east coast of Canada they're said to be very large white wolves with black strips along their spines and are, unfortunately, said to be extinct. Areas in Newfoundland that were the common habitat of these wolves are now filled by Coyotes. Roughly around 1983 European settlers saw them as nothing but savage cattle killing animals and it was that added on to the declining numbers in the Caribou population that sealed their fate. Settlers set out a bounty on these wolves and began hunting them down in an attempt to destroy the islands population.

The last wild Newfoundland wolf is recorded to have been shot down in 1911 but the official date of their extinction is dated at 1930.

In her wolf form Mahina has blue or liquid platinum eyes. This is a rare happening when it comes to actual Wolves. Most pups are born with blue eyes that eventually change colors within eight to sixteen weeks of age. It's rare for a wolf to have their eyes change after this point and even rare for a mature wolf to have blue eyes. Mahina is one of these cases and though she isn't an old wolf she isn't young like Toboe is, Mahina is still a teenager if anything.


	10. Dance in the pale moonlight

**Thanks to FlamingIceWolfGirl and Crystal-Wolf-Guardian-967 for the review on the last chapter. I apologize for the very very late update and I'm working on the next chapter right now!**

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><p><strong>Chapter IX:<strong> Dance in the pale moonlight: A great escape.

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><p>The air was still between them as they circled one another in a slow, eyeing, pace each daring the other to make the first move. From the beat up structure of an abandoned yellow school bus Cheza remained glue to where she sat watching the two canines in action. One of these canines was none other than Mahina. She moved like she would against any other opponent, weak or strong, making sure that no matter what she was always facing her opponent just in case they became daring. Her fur bristled along her back and her black ears lay flat against her skull. After the two of them made three full rotations she let her upper lip curl in a dangerous snarl.<p>

'_What are you waiting for?' _she growled adding in a bark and a slight snap of her teeth _'are you just going to stand there? Attack me!'_ her opponent hesitated in following through with this request obviously finding her display intimidating _'Go on'_ Mahina urged them _'I dare you…or are you too much of a wimp to make the first move'_ that did it, take a shot at a wolfs pride and you can get them to do just about anything. The wolf posed before her crouched in a stance that screamed ready to strike and they snarled loudly at her before springing forward in a lunge at the she-wolf. Mahina, being who she is, could have dodged this attack with ease and issue a counter that would end this wolf's life but that was not the point of this fight. If she were in her human form she would have smirk sinisterly at the oncoming attack but instead settled for a very wolfish grin. Just as the attack came close to chomping down on her, Mahina swung her paw up kicking up a wave of dirt with the motion sending dirt hailing down on the wolf about to strike her. The wolf yelped as loudly as it possibly could and faltered, dropping down before Mahina and rubbing its paws over its eyes in an attempt to free itself of the sand in its eyes. It was the opening Mahina had been aiming for and with yet another snarl she lunged forward for the kill.

"GYAH!" came a surprised yell as Mahina pounced on the wolf and they both tumbled together in a cloud of kicked up dirt and sand. It didn't matter that Cheza was blind at this point for no one would be able to see what was taking place in the sandstorm they had created, all that could be heard were more yelps, a few growls and then finally a loud _THUMP _before there was absolute silence. When the dust began to settle and clear all that was left of the great battle was the sight of Mahina now shifted form perched like a queen on a throne with one leg crossed over the other. A deep chuckle rumbled up the female's throat and she held her hand up before her face as if to examine her nails for any damage.

"…Is that the best that you can do?" she questioned, her tone held more amusement than anything else as she asked this. A grunt was Mahina's reply and it did nothing but make the she-wolf smirk widely "We've been at this for half the day now…are you sure you want to continue?"

"Yes!" her throne replied sharply to her

"Are you sure?" Mahina curved an ebony brow upward, her crimson eyes turned from her nails to the person she now sat on "You didn't last very long this time, you're getting tired aren't you?"

"…"

"Let's rest for little bit, what do you say Toboe?" The slender female offered knowing that things like this took time to build up. From her own hard experiences she knew this however unlike then they had more than enough time now for rest and mistakes.

Time had passed since the Hanabito fated from this earth and things everywhere went on as normal. The birds did not stop their cheerful songs, people in town did not stall their daily activities and the sun conceded to the moons advances when night came and rose back to power when the next day followed.

Nothing changed, everything remained the same as if the world wasn't a life short but that was how life was: its very existence counted on these souls and yet the loss of one compared to everything else was so meaningless. Everything simply moved on, every person, every animal, every living organism. Even the wolves themselves moved on, they had no time to mourn no time to sit and recognize the loss of the forgotten flower and so the memory of the Hanabito was pushed to the back of their minds and they pushed on.

While Mahina and Kiba were with Cheza waiting for the maiden to finish her farewells to the Hanabito the others had searched the nearby town and surrounding area for a place to lay low for the night. In the short time they had gotten to look they found a lot filled with rundown, abandoned cars far enough from town so that if they couldn't lay low they could at least rest for the night. With a resting place secure Mahina stayed behind with Toboe to protect Cheza while the others looked for a way out of town without alerting the armed human forces that had them more or less surrounded. After an hour's rest Toboe shook his mother figure from a peaceful sleep and talked her into continuing the training they had started in the beginning of their journey.

Compared to the first time Mahina had spared with Toboe the pup was doing better though not by much.

"No! I'm fine!" The pup protested to Mahina's offer of respite in a bellow straining his head so that he could look in Mahina's direction…or at least try to. When Toboe turned his face in the female's direction she saw the full extent of the damage her counter had done to him. Toboe had obviously not been successful in getting the sand out of his eyes because they were shut tight, tears were beginning to form in the corners as his eyes watered and naturally began flushing the foreign objects out. The skin around both eyes was a burning red and even as Toboe protest to taking a moment to rest he whipped and pawed at his face trying to free himself from the irritant. Upon seeing this Mahina gained a look of adoration for the pup, he was trying so very hard. "Just give me a minute! I'm fine!"

"…Toboe" a soft smile curved the she-wolf's lips and in one easy motion she went from sitting on Toboe to kneeling before him allowing him room to sit up. With a tender hand and few gentle blows on the pups eyes Mahina began the task of ridding him of what she had caused "It's alright to rest from time to time" the female lectured the pup as she did this shooing his hands away anytime he moved to help "You're just beginning to learn and there is much to teach. You can't expect to be perfect your first try do you?"

"But Kiba and the others-" the pup began but Mahina shook her head

"Are grown wolves with their own experiences out in the wild" she interrupted him with a soft voice but a stern look to the pup that could now open his eyes back up though he blinked them rapidly. With still gentle hands Mahina thumbed and whipped at Toboe's teary, sandy, dirty cheeks in an effort to clean his face up "As much as you hate to admit this, Toboe, you are the pup among us with no experience away from your human owner and you expect to start off with the fighting skills and strength of a wolf twice your age? It doesn't work that way" in response to this Toboe pouted like a true sad puppy lowering his gaze to his hand in his lap.

"But I want to be strong" he complained quietly curling his hands into white knuckled fist of frustration "now that we have Cheza the humans and other wolves will start attacking us won't they?" Toboe didn't lift his gaze when he asked this question but he didn't have to. The silence that followed was enough to tell Toboe that his mother figure of the pack was frowning deeply.

As much as Kiba and Mahina had disregarded Tsume's words the night that had escaped the castle ruins with Cheza the pack as a whole seemed to understand there was truth in it. The humans wouldn't stop their search for Cheza and even though they couldn't smell her they obviously had some other way of tracking the flower maiden as that blonde woman had managed to find their hiding place with ease even after they'd lost them farther back and Mahina had tricked this same woman into following her to the other side of town before losing her. Humans weren't weak, defenseless creatures either; though they stood little chance against a pack of wolves, for very few could stand up against a pack of wolves especially not humans who don't even know that it's wolves that are attacking them, they still could stand up against them. They had guns and with guns they had killed so many wolves in the many years of the world's existence that they thought they had successfully killed them all. Heck Mahina still had a still healing wound that started beside the base of her nose and traveled her left cheek where it disappeared behind her black hair. The wound had already closed up and little was need to done to it for, the mark would disappear soon enough Mahina had told Toboe but looking at it was enough to prove that taking Cheza from the humans was a dangerous thing even for someone as tough as Mahina. Then, there was the second problem they had yet to encounter but the pup was sure would present itself some time along the way.

Wolves.

Back when he still lived with Granny and had figured out what he was Toboe had thought he was the only wolf left on earth. Then he met Tsume, and then Hige and Kiba and Mahina and then Zari and his pack. Toboe was defiantly not the only wolf out there. That mean there were other packs out there and there was a good chance at least one of them is looking for paradise like they were…if they caught a whiff of Cheza's scent…Toboe shuddered slightly. A Pack of wolves against a few humans was a little bloody, with more damage and fatalities on the Human's end, but a pack of wolves against another pack of wolves was far more unpredictable. They could have greater numbers and over power them with ease, killing everyone and taking Cheza for themselves and the thought of something like that happening just…

"If I get stronger faster I can help you guys instead of standing back and letting you protect me all the time" Toboe explained himself

"But you do help us" Mahina mused "You keep watch over Cheza when we're not around and that's an important job" though her words were encouraging Mahina could still see the doubt in the young pups eyes but there was no room to reassure him. The she-wolf's smile faltered ever so slightly and her ear twitch now aware of a present attempting to make itself unheard.

"But-" Toboe spoke on obviously not sensing what Mahina had but she stopped him short.

"Toboe" the female glanced over her shoulder in the direction she heard the noise with steel eyes "Go back on the bus and hide in the back with Cheza"

"Huh?" piped Toboe staring up at Mahina owl eyed as she stood up straight eyes fixed on a corner of the lot. She didn't look down at the pup but a slight snarl rumbled up her throat.

"Just do it" she told him calmly. Rather than question what Mahina was doing Toboe listened, scrambling to his feet and hurried back to their shelter, the pup and the flower maiden disappeared into the deeper shadows of the bus leaving Mahina the only one standing in the open space of the lot. With Cheza and Toboe safely in hiding Mahina shoved her hands deep into the pockets of her jacket and glanced at the yellow shelter making sure that neither could be seen. From where she stood Mahina could see what she was sure was Toboe's eye peeking through one of the many holes that lined metal structure but she only caught this because of her sharp eyes.

"Don't move" the female didn't so much as flinch as she felt the barrel of a gun against the back of her head and a stern voice speak to her. She figured they would find this place eventually, if the humans were serious about finding Cheza they would search everywhere and this abandoned lot would be on their list. They had a much better shot staying in that tree hideaway the Hanabito had called her home but it couldn't be helped. Considering there was a gun against her head Mahina didn't have much choice but to surrender. She held her hands up to show she meant no harm. "Are you armed?" the person questioned to which Mahina snorted

"If I had any weapons on my person do you think I'd give up so easily?" she questioned

"Check her for weapons" the person holding the gun told another and she was checked for guns and the sort and when there were none found Mahina found herself standing before two men dressed in all black like the rest of the humans chasing after Cheza with their guns trained on her.

"She looks familiar doesn't she?" one of them muttered probably looking Mahina up and down from behind those sunglasses of his. His partner, the man who once had his gun against the back of Mahina's skull, looked Mahina over as well and nodded his head.

"I know her" he mused "she's that new scientist that was working with the flower maiden. She disappeared around the same time that the maiden did"

"Well now we know where she's been all this time" the other remarked taking a step forward making sure his gun was aimed to shoot Mahina between her eyes if she decided to be daring "Where is the girl?" he questioned her

"Girl?" Mahina curved a brow with a mocking smirk on her face "you'll have to be more specific, 'the girl' doesn't exactly give me much to go on when it comes to answering you question"

"Don't play stupid!" barked the first solider angrily "You know exactly who we're talking about! Where is she?"

"She…" it was a fast motion that the humans before her didn't catch but for a quick moment Mahina's eyes flickered to the bus beside them where Cheza's scent leaked out of every opening like free flowing water. "She has a name" Mahina spoke softly focusing on the human closest to her, the she-wolfs eyes narrowed and her hair bristled at the very thought of attacking the man. The man must have seen the look in her eye because suddenly he cocked the gun in preparation to fire it and gripped the metal tighter than before. "And her name…" a wide wolf-like grin came to Mahina's face "is Cheza"

"Don't try anything stupid lady!" the now tense human barked at her jumping a pace back creating distance between the two of them "You're unarmed and we have you out numbered!"

"Lady…" if she were revealing her true form Mahina's fur would be standing on edge "My name is Mahina…" for a fleeting moment the human before her became rigid, his mouth fell open and he gaped in what seemed to be terror. For that brief moment, Mahina assumed, he must have been able to see through her illusion it made no difference to her he would be dead soon enough "and I'm _certainly_ no lady" the female finished and with a loud snarl she sprung forward. The man screamed and in a panic fired his gun with reckless abandon.

To his luck that pathetic action actually saved his life. When he pulled the trigger Mahina was half way through trusting her claws forward in a motion to rip out his throat. She didn't have time to dodge the bullets and complete the attack so she retracted at the last minute succeeding in slashing the soldier's arm open on her left shoulder and across the left side of his face before she had to dive to the ground and avoid getting shot. The man screamed with such force it was hard to believe Mahina only nicked him. Dropping his weapon he gripped his shoulder and dropped to his knees in pain. His partner took the opening he couldn't and jumped forward and slammed the bud of his gun against the back of an in expecting Mahina's head. The shot, though delivered by a human, was a strong one and Mahina was only thrust into absolute darkness after feeling a split second of extreme pain from the strike.

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><p>From inside the bus Toboe covered his mouth holding back the yell he wanted to let out as he witnessed the strike dealt the blow. He watched as her head jerked hard from it and she quickly fell to the ground unmoving. With her knocked out the man was left to check on his bleeding comrade. It had only been a couple of seconds but the air was thick with the copper scent of his blood, whatever artery she was aiming for when she attacked him she certainly hit it because his arm was covered in his blood.<p>

"Are you alright?"

"Urgh…did you get her?"

"Yea I knocked her out, what should we do with her?"

"Take her back to base let the boss deal with her when she wakes up…"

"Oh no" Toboe spoke from behind his firmly clenched hands continuing to watch helplessly "This is bad…what should I do?…" he moved his hands from his mouth to either side of his head in a slowly growing panic. This was bad, this was really bad. They had Mahina! What would they do to her? She was in serious danger! He-He had to get the others! Howl! He had to howl, that was the only way that they would know that something was going wrong! He had to howl, he was going to howl!

"Mahina…" Just as Toboe took in a deep breath and prepared to what he seemed to do best Cheza's soft, airy voice stopped him and he turned and glanced at her. Her rose eyes were wide in the same fearful manner Toboe had his in. Even though she couldn't see she obviously knew what was going on because she gripped the edges of her jacket tightly "Mahi…Mahina…" she began pushing herself up from her where she kneeled but Toboe's hand shot out and gripped her shoulder faster than he could think about his actions.

That's right, Cheza was top priority. If Mahi woke up and found out that Toboe had let the humans know where he and Cheza were hiding just to stop them from taking her she would be very upset. Protecting Cheza was an important job that only he could do right know and he would do it. Cheza paused turning her large eyes to Toboe. The pup continued to watch as the men gathered their things and left dragging Mahina's unconscious body with them.

"She'll…she'll be okay" he assured the flower maiden though he sounded unsure himself. He'd just have to wait here with Cheza and tell the others when they got back. It wasn't until close to the end of the day that the others returned and by then Toboe was about ready to jump out of his skin with worry over everything. "You're back!" the pup jumped to his feet but the older wolves were busy talking to one another as they entered to give the young wolf their attention.

"How did it go?" Kiba questioned Hige, the chubby wolf sighed

"They've really got us surround it this time… We'll have to move at night" Hige explained

"There's a forest nearby here that the local humans call the forest of death" Kiba remarked

"The forest of death, that doesn't sound pleasant" Hige grumbled shoving his hands into his pocket

"They say if you get lost in it you never come out" Kiba elaborated but it didn't seem to bother the ember wolf for he simply smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

"Big deal!" he laughed "with our noses it'll be a cake walk, right?"

"Right!" Kiba nodded

"But guys-" Toboe tried again, he had to tell them about Mahina. They couldn't leave her to have who knows what done to her by the humans while they ran away with Cheza, Toboe owed his life to Mahina and besides they were a pack! "Listen!" Toboe tried again but Tsume had entered the bus with his usual stoic expression.

"I found an escape route that would be perfect" the silver haired male said when he was met with expectant eyes.

"That settles it" Kiba nodded "We'll leave tonight"

"But-"

"There's just one problem" Tsume spoke on his golden eyes looked over everyone present "I took a peek at the human's base to see what they're plan of action is, it looks like they have a captive"

"A captive?" Hige repeated but Kiba seemed to finally understand what Toboe had been trying to say since they had gotten there. The white wolfs nose visibly twitched as he noticed a scent in the air and lack thereof a certain one.

The air was still painted red with the scent on freshly spilled human blood, how on earth had he not smelt this before. Someone else had been here, someone that obviously hadn't been met with a warm welcome. Whoever they were Mahina definitely sent them away with either a deep, bloody gash or a lost limb- wait a minute. Kiba azure eyes grew wide and he looked back at Toboe and Cheza expecting to see the slender female standing among them but she wasn't there. Her scent, her very aura, was long gone from the bus and the space around, how the hell had he not noticed such a change in their hiding place when he got here?

"Toboe" the white wolf addressed the pup "Where's Mahina?" maybe she had simply left for a little while, gone to do some recon of her own maybe even chasing whatever human she attacked around town. Toboe relayed no such stories, his expression was helpless as ever and he became very pale.

"Mahi they…" he spoke up "She was just trying to get them away from here but then one of them knocked her out! They took her away! The humans took Mahi!"

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><p>"These kids…they're no ordinary kids"<p>

Ah….her head was killing her….

"Not that crap again… so she got you. She took you by surprise stop being a chicken"

Letting out a soft moan Mahina tried to lift her head and open her eyes but when she did she simply groaned. The room was spinning and unfocused, dammit how hard did that bastard hit her.

"But she wasn't carrying any weapons, I checked her! How do you explain all of these cuts?"

She was in a room…no…no…groaning again Mahina squinted her eyes trying to focus on her newfound surroundings. This wasn't a normal room like a building it was too dim and it still smelled of the earth…this was a tent…she was in a tent…. As she gained back her senses Mahina took in her surroundings. She was indeed inside a tent and from what her nose and slowly returning vision was telling her she was being guarded by the two humans who had knocked her out and dragged her where every the hell she was. One of them reeked of blood and from the large hole in the arm of his cloths Mahina could see a bandage. This man was visibly shaking and the pitch in his voice sounded like he was half crazed at this point. Mahina couldn't blame him, even if it was for a split second he saw her true form and for a human to see a normal girl turn into a feral wolf then back into a girl and attack them taking it all in an accepting it so quickly was a big step to take…obviously he was having a hard time this step.

"She can't possibly be human, she moved almost like she was a wild animal" he shuddered

"Well now that you mention it that woman was saying something weird like that…" the other male commented "something about wolves"

"About wolves?"

"Wolves you say" the pair stopped their conversation and looked back at Mahina. The she-wolf sighed rolling her neck a couple of times not at all bothered by the fact that she now had a gun aimed at her by the panicky one of the two humans before her. What could she possible do in her current position honestly? "That really hurt" she mused casually flexing the muscles in her bound arms behind her back. She couldn't break through the metal, either she was getting rusty or they really did a number on her head "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to strike a lady?"

"You're no lady!" the fidgety human barked out cocking his gun rubbing a shaky finger over the trigger "you're a beast! An animal!"

"Hey!" his calmer partner moved to step in before things got out of hand "just calm down alright? You heard what the boss said we can't touch her until he gets back with the target"

"But she's a wolf!" snapped the other one waving his gun before Mahina's blank face "I saw it! I saw it with my own eyes! If I don't kill her now she'll kill me!"

"Listen to yourself you sound crazy!" the other yelled snatching the gun his partner's hands before he could entertain the idea of killing Mahina any further. "Wolves have been dead for over a hundred years! You know that! There's no way she could possibly be a wolf!"

"….actually" the yelling stopped and so did the fighting between the two humans as a new voice joined the conversation "That's not too far from the truth" Mahina looked past them and they looked behind them where the voice had come from. Smiling cheerfully Hige waved at the pair of humans like his appearance was just a casually visit. They didn't have time to react, he rushed them with the speed only a wolf could have and before they could blink bloods was thrown free in the air and the pair were sprawled on the ground never to rise again. "Well…" the chubby male mused staring down his own carnage while dusting off his hands "that was faster than I expected it to be, thought they might put up a better fighter to protect their prisoner…"

"In their defense I did driven one half way towards insanity" Mahina hummed from her place nudging one of the dead with her foot just to make sure they were dead. The human before her made no noise in protest to her actions so she assumed that, yes, he was no longer alive. With this confirmed the she-wolf returned her gaze to her chubby pack member "What took you so long?" she snapped at him. Hige shrugged offering nothing more than a roll of his eyes in reply.

"I go out of my way to rescue you and this is what I get?" he complained, Mahina scuffed now rolling her eyes. What a drama queen "Tsume suggested we leave you here you know, said it was your own fault that you got caught"

"I was protecting Cheza" the female protested

"Do you think he cares about that?" inquired Hige making a fair point.

"Where is Tsume anyway?" Hige looked behind him towards the tents entrance where he had come from and it was now that Mahina noticed the sounds of terrified screams and volleys of gunfire. Within the dim lighting of the room Mahina could see flashes from the guns as panicking humans fired at whatever it was that frightened them, the flashes created shadow after shadow against the tents tarp and the shadow of a wolf leaped through the air followed by another scream of pain. Mahina snorted "it sounds like he's having fun"

"Doesn't it?" Hige turned back Mahina with an amused look of his own "either way we've gotta go, we're on the move" he said approaching her "You don't look so good, do you need help?"

"I can get out of this whenever I feel like it" Mahina spoke sharply flexing her muscles from behind her back again, they had gotten stiff from being stuck in the same position for however long she had been unconscious. Hige smirked kneeling down so he was eye level with the female and gazed at her with an expression that was nothing short of amusing.

"Really?" he chuckled "then why are you still sitting there?"

"I just needed a place to rest" Mahina answered crimson eyes looking for something other than the amber wolf before her to focus on. Unclenching and clenching her hands a couple of times Mahina flexed her muscles once again and with a grunt she yanked her arms in opposite directions and the metal that held her in that way broke apart like weak twine. "So what's the plan?" she questioned rubbing at her sore wrist while Hige stood up straight "do we have a direction we're going?"

"Mhm" the male hummed stretching his arms over his head and then his back before rolling his shoulder in the socket "We found a forest that we can get out of here from. Kiba said the local humans think it's cursed and they don't go near it cause they think they'll never come back out but we should be find with this nose" he scratched the bridge of his nose smugly like he often did when talking about his naturally strong sense of smell.

"And Cheza?" Mahina asked opening her mouth wide and digging her canines into the metal cuffs breaking them and ripping them from her wrist.

"She's with Kiba and the runt" Hige answered moving on to rolling his other shoulder in its socket, was he warming up for something? The male grinned mischievously when he saw a look of curiosity cross Mahina's face "But we'll meet up with them later, we've got a job to do here?"

"A job?" she took the hand Hige offered to her and was easily pulled to her feet and out the tent. There was gun fire ringing through the air and screams of pin were accompanying it with equal volume. Mahina broke into a jog to keep pace with Hige as he picked up speed zipping around tents set up and taking out who ever stood in his way.

"This way" suddenly Hige pushed off the ground and shot through the air landing on a ledge high over the human's camp. Mahina was quick to follow taking to the air with little effort on her part, the air around her glimmered with flashes and bullets shot past her from all directions with shocking speed. She grunted when she land beside Hige on the ledge turning around and staring down at all the armed men shooting up at them.

"…wow" Mahina whistled "All these bullets and you'd think one of them might actually graze one of us"

"No kidding" Hige laughed "Humans have such poor aim"

"That seems to be the sad truth" Mahina mused with a grimace, the air was smothering with the scent of burning gunpowder, blood and oil. It burned her nose to stand in it and left the she-wolf with even more distaste for the humans she stared down at but even among these foul stenches Mahina's nose could not miss a particular scent for it gave her so much ease even to smell it faintly. It was the smell of the flower maiden, of lunar flowers. That meant Cheza was here somewhere around this base and that meant Kiba was here as well. Was that why Hige and herself were just standing here letting these humans shoot at and miss them? So that's what he meant by a job to do.

"Well" Hige chirped from beside Mahina earning her crimson gaze, the chubby male grinned at her like a cub at play "Shall we have some fun?" fun? Bewildered the slender female curved a brow at the amber wolf standing before her as he offered his hand for her to take. Fun, how was any of this fun? She had been knocked out and dragged here to have who knows what done to her, now they stood under enemy fire of course the enemy fire was missing them but that wasn't the point. For the life of her Mahina didn't understand how this was fun. "Come on Mahi" Hige urged her when she showed no signs of taking his hand "we've gotta keep these guys distracted until Kiba and the runt can get Cheza out of here. We might as well enjoy ourselves while we're at it"

"I don't find being shot amusing" Mahina informed Hige bluntly

"Well we haven't been shot yet have we?"

"There's always a first time…"

"Trust me Mahina" Hige chuckled taking a step towards her his smile never leaving his face "I'll make it fun I promise. Let's have a little dance, you and I"

"…" still despite all his vows and promises Mahina eyes Hige wearily keeping her hands firmly at either side of her body "…I don't know how to dance" she informed her fellow pack member but that didn't seem to bother him, most things that would be bothersome to most never seemed to bother Hige much at all. He simply shrugged his shoulders chuckling as he drew closer and took Mahina's hand. With a sudden yank Mahina was jerked forward towards Hige, she yelped as stumbled a couple of steps before landing flush against the male's chest.

"Never fear" Mahina gripped his sweatshirt with her free hand to keep herself from toppling over and with now slightly peached face she looked up and met eyes with him. Hige's smirk grew in size "I know a few moves I can show you!" and with that said the two of them were pushed apart. Hige, with a firm grip on Mahina's hand, had succeeded in flicking the slender female away from him and way that sent her spinning, literally twirling, over the edge of the ledge they stood on and spiraling to the ground below. Down, Mahina fell twirling among waves of ebony hair like a ballerina under the light of the moon high overhead. Surprised that Hige actually had the guts to push her off the ledge all Mahina could so was stare upward at the sky that spun like she did as she dropped. Within seconds of beginning her fall her wide crimson eyes caught the sight of Hige leaping from the as well but there was no time to take this in, the ground was fast approaching. Her knees gave in on her as soon as her feet clumsily touched the ground and with a slight grunt of surprise Mahina dropped to her knees in a crouch, Hige soon landed beside her. As soon as he landed the female shot him a nasty glare.

"Are you out of your mind!" she snapped at him "or are you just a glutton for punishment?"

"No time to chitchat Mahi" Hige chirped happily before taking hold of the hand Mahi aimed at him in the form of a punch "time to have some fun!"

"H-Hige!" Mahina yelped in protest but it was too late, Hige pulled Mahina to her feet with ease and before she knew it she was stumbling about much like she had when Cheza had tried to make her dance. With his hand still holding firm to Mahi the two of them spun and twirled about moving at such a pace that none of the bullets being fired at them were meeting their intended target settled for hitting the ground, ripping through the fabric of tents, even ricocheting off metal and zipping back to their shooter.

Mahina was no expert at dance, like she mentioned before she didn't know how to dance, but she had to admit that Hige was doing great. He had taken the lead in this dance jerking Mahina in one direction and then yanking her to another and Mahina, as expected, would have been highly angered by this but when she too notice of what these yanks and pulls were doing she was actually surprised. With each spin and twirl one of the humans stopped firing. Hige would push Mahina forward and make her lose her balance and catch her just as she was close enough to a solider to chomp down on their throat or slash at them with her claws before quickly pulling her back to him and moving on. Whatever it was Hige was making her do with each move, together, the pair of them were taking each and every one of these humans out.

This…was this truly dancing?

As Hige sent Mahina twirling away from him and into a bundle of armed men the slender female could feel something bubbling up in her chest. It scampered its way up her throat and as her fist connected with the backs of human's heads knocking them out Mahina found herself laughing. That darn chubby wolf had been right, this was fun!

Suddenly Hige yanked Mahina back towards him suddenly, the female internally flinched when she took in the large face of a cliff that he was pulling her towards and rather than run into the structure the she-wolf leaped up and met the earth wall with her own feet. The momentum Hige used to throw Mahina into the wall kept her in this position long enough for her to take off in a sprint along the wall. Hige never once let her hand go, in fact he led her along the wall as she ran until she reached a point where his arm found its way around Mahina's waist and he pulled her off the wall. Mahina didn't expect this and so was still moving her legs when he spun her back around swinging in what was most likely the mightiest kick the human who'd been on the receiving end of Mahina's foot had ever felt. The man actually did a couple of twirls himself before falling to the ground out like a light. With the deed done Hige quickly pulled Mahina back towards him hooking his arm under her legs and holding her like a new bride as they surveyed the damage they'd done.

"Direct hit!" Mahina cheered with a slight giggle gripping onto Hige's sweatshirt with both hands to keep her balance, the chubby male chuckled in agreement. This fight, this dancing battle would have continued on through the night in this same fashion if a distinct sound hadn't run out through the sky drowning out the sounds of the guns firing around Mahina and Hige. This sound was the call of a howl, Toboe was howling.

"Hey!" the two looked up at the high ledge above them to see Tsume staring down at them impatiently "Sorry to interrupt your romantic moment but you hear the kid, it's time to go" the grey wolf called

"He's right" agreed Mahina getting herself free from Hige's grip despite his protest and standing on her own feet "That howl means they have Cheza out of here safe right? They're waiting on us"

"Right" Hige nodded, Tsume disappeared somewhere on the ledge and Mahina was getting ready to leap up after him when "but one quick question" Hige stopped Mahina short.

"What?" the she-wolf looked his way were an eyebrow curved curiously

"When you just said Tsume's was right did you mean about this being romantic too?"

"Hige" if they had all the time in the world Mahina would have decked the goofy male she stood with. Instead she rolled her eyes while Hige chuckled playfully

"Because, ya'know, I kind of felt a little magic back there-" of course by the time Hige came close to ending his statement Mahina had given up on simply rolling her eyes at him. With her hand clenched tight into a fist Mahina rounded on Hige and jabbed him hard in the gut forcing his comment to end with an _'oof!'_ rather than with whatever it was he wanted to end it with.

"Focus on the task at hand, Hige" she growled before pushing off the ground and taking to the air aiming for the ledge Tsume had retreated to.

"Okay okay" Hige coughed following after her "I was just kidding Mahi you didn't have to punch me!"

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><p>"Mahi!" As soon as Mahina's feet touched the ground and she stood before the others Toboe had sprung forward tackling Mahina with such force she almost lost her footing "I'm so glad you're okay!"<p>

"Sorry we're late" spoke Tsume once he and Hige joined Mahina on the ground with the others "We had to take a detour and get scrawny"

"I don't recall seeing you trying to rescue me Tsume" Mahina remarked while returning the hug Toboe was giving her shooting the grey wolf a sharp look that he dismissed with ease.

"That's because I wasn't" he answered bluntly "You got yourself into that mess, big shot, you can get yourself out and if you couldn't that just proves how weak you are"

"…" the two glared at one another for a moment "Tch" Mahina looked away "no sense of loyalty to your pack at all, filthy dog"

"What was that" Tsume snarled out earning him a weary look from Toboe.

"Guys…guys come on don't fight now we don't have-"

_BANG!_

A gunshot louder than an exploding bomb erupted through the air and the bullet fire hit the ground inches from Toboe. The pup yelped, the foot that was closest to where the bullet hit shot off the ground and Toboe held onto Mahina tightly.

"You damn wolves!" Everyone's heads turned and gazed upward following the echo of this loud bellow "You'll never fool me again!" it didn't take much looking to find the person who had proclaimed this. In the distance rooted to the high ledge he was on an old man stood with his weapon of death in hand and aimed. He relaxed his posture long enough to reload his weapon and take aim again while everyone, for a moment stared up at him stunned. This man, what the hell was he doing?

"Toboe!" He was taking aim again! "Move!" Mahina spun round and gave the pup a hard shove toward the nearby forest following close behind.

_BANG!_

With the next gunshot the pack scattered like rats taking off in random directions in an attempt to get away from the trigger happy man that had shown up out of nowhere with obvious intent to kill them. Toboe had took off as fast as he could go in the direction Mahina had push him while Mahina spun on the ball of her foot and ran in the other direction following Kiba as he pulled Cheza along with him. All they had to do was make it to the forest, if what Hige had said was right than they wouldn't be chased through the forest by this man so as long as they just made it in- suddenly Cheza's foot caught a tree root as she ran. Her hand slipped from Kiba's and the maiden went down in heartbeat.

"Cheza!" Kiba skidded to a stop as soon as Cheza had let go of his hand but the gunman had gotten Cheza in his sights, she had become an easy target where she lay sprawled on the ground so he took aim directly at her. The panic that rose in both Mahina and Kiba was impossible to miss and they both broke into hard sprints towards the fallen maiden in an effort to get her out of there.

_BANG!_

Of the two of them Mahina was closest so she managed to get there in time, she stepped between Cheza and the man with her arms arm like a barrier just as the gunman pulled his trigger. It felt like a red hot poker was suddenly stabbed into Mahina's back when the gunshot rang out. This gunman had good aim that was for sure for this pullet didn't graze Mahina like she had expected it to, it was direct hit and it got her with such force that the slender female couldn't hold in the loud shriek that forced its way out of her. She gripped her shoulder in pain dropping to her knees.

"Mahina" Cheza pushed herself up her rose eye were wide and fixed on Mahina but the she-wolf didn't reply. Her arm…she couldn't feel her arm! Tightening her grip on her shoulder Mahina silently cursed her recent lack of luck today. She had to force the pain to the back of her mind, Cheza was still in danger in fact she was making her way towards Mahina right now crawling closer with waves of worry flowing from her being "You're hurt" she voiced as she drew closer "this one can feel it"

"Get out of here Cheza" Mahina decided to ignore her wound gritting her teeth and digging her nails into her arm, she could feel anything in her left arm from the shoulder down she wasn't even sure she could move it right now.

"But-"

"Don't worry about me" Mahina barked out ferociously "go! Run!" It took her a moment or two to actually listen but after staring at Mahina with great concern Cheza did obey her command. Pushing herself to her feet Cheza took off running following Toboe feeling form. The maiden looked back once at Mahina before she disappeared into the woods.

That just left Mahina and the gunman.

In the time that it too Mahina to convince Cheza to leave her and run the old man had reloaded his gun and was taking aim again. So now he had a full gun and a wounded wolf just waiting to be taken down.

"I've got you now!" Mahina's sharp ears heard him growl before she heard him cock his gun. This was it, and so was the end of Mahina story. She would die at the hands of a human never to confirm that Cheza was safe, never to see paradise like she'd always thought she would. Mahina clenched her eyes shut bracing for the shot that would end her life. "Now die!"

_BANG!_

The shot was fire; the sound of the gunshot shattered the air like it was expected to but instead of feeling the pain of a bullet meant to kill Mahina suddenly felt wind. The ground had disappeared from under her shaking form replaced by a floating sensation. Was she dead? Did that gunman have a truly remarkable aim and granted her the mercy of a quick and painless shot to the head? Mahina thought over the last seconds before the gun was fire, she wasn't really sure how she was thinking since she was dead but given she didn't have enough time to run and she hadn't made any attempt to run when the old man pulled the trigger it only made sense that she was dead and where she was, be it heaven or hell, she was dead. The wind kept blowing past her as she floated on utterly relaxed….hmmm…wherever her soul had been sent to it sure smelt nice….like the snow atop a tall mountain and fresh pine and perhaps the wild itself. Was she in paradise? She opened her eyes with a soft moan to gaze upon this wolf utopia.

As the wind continued all Mahina could see before her was the ground zipping past her face so fast she could barely make out what looked like large tree roots. Her senses were coming to back to her and with it the female could feel someone holding onto her and her weight pressing down on a foreign body part, She was being carried…she wasn't dead? Moaning out again Mahina raised her head to take in the rapidity moving surroundings. At first all she could make out was white, whoever carried her moved so fast that it blended together into this one color but after blinking her eyes furiously she could make out trees whizzing by. They had made it to the forest but who was carrying her.

"Stop squirming" the command made Mahina flinch and look behind her in the direction she seemed to be heading in. Her vision was blocked by brown hair blowing wildly about and with it that lovely scent tickled her senses, no wonder it smelt so nice…

"…Kiba" Mahina grunted as the white wolf made a sharp turn around the base of a large tree and caused a sharp ache to run across her back. Kiba kept a firm grip on her keeping her thrown over his shoulder as he ran on leaping over tree roots and down narrow pathways.

"Are you alright?" questioned Kiba looking over her shoulder briefly so azure could meet crimson, Mahina winced and brought her hand to her shoulder much like she had the moment the bullet hit her.

"I can't feel my arm" she informed him "I don't even think I can move it. Kiba, I think he hit a vital nerve or something" Kiba didn't reply to this comment and for a while they spoke no words, the white wolf just continued to run perhaps fearful that that crazy old man was still hot on their tail hollering about how they wouldn't trick him again. Fortunately Kiba's hasty attempt to rescue Mahina from certain death had stunned the man long enough for both to escape into the sanctity of the forest before he could get around to getting another bullet out of his gun. They had gotten away by the skin of their teeth and considering Mahina didn't hear the sounds of the others or smell their scents, though she was sure she'd be able to anyway since she was particle drowning in Kiba's, that they had been separated from the rest of the pack. "Cheza" Mahina winced pressing a hand against Kiba's back so she could push herself up further and look around for a sign of the maiden's pink coat of her rose eyes.

"She's safe" Kiba spoke finally slowing down until he stopped completely. The clearing they were now in was bowl like in shape surrounded by thick, white roots besides the patch of earth they were in. It was a small patch of earth but big enough for the pair of them to stop and rest without being right on top of one another and this satisfied Kiba because he eased Mahina off his shoulder and to her feet keeping a firm grip on her when she wobbled for a moment. "The others made sure that she got away"

"But where are they?" Mahina questioned

"I don't know, we got separated in the confusion" Kiba answered, his gaze moved from, Mahina's face to her left shoulder that she gripped so tightly "Where did he hit you?"

"I don't know" Mahina shook her head, she couldn't say she knew were the bullet met flesh she just knew it was her back and that, judging from the pain she felt, it was somewhere around her left arm. Kiba ran a hand down her left arm "Kiba, who the hell was that crazy old man? Where did he come from?"

"He's a wolf hunter" Kiba answered lowering Mahina to the ground so the two of them sat down

"Wolf hunter?"

"I ran into him in Freeze City, I don't know why but I'm pretty sure he's been trailing us since we left the that city" the white wolf explained with his eyes trained on Mahina's arm looking for any holes in her jacket were a bullet may have entered but found none "Do you remember that black dog we saw yesterday?" Mahina nodded "That was his dog, he was the reason that I ended up caged up in that lab" Mahina remembered that, when she smelt Kiba's blood for the first time and then saw his bloody wounds as he lay almost lifeless in a cage in Cher's lab. Those wounds had been caused by that old man and his black dog? "Can you move it?" Kiba ended Mahina's trail of thought raising her hand and pressing her palm against his. Mahina offered Kiba a look of uncertainty but then looked at their hands, at least now she knew she still had feeling in that limb for his hand felt so warm and soft against her own. Her fingers twitched and soon curled brushing past Kiba's until their fingers were laced.

"I can still move my fingers" Mahina breathed out a sigh of relief if she could move her fingers that meant she could probably still move her whole arm.

"You probably just went into shock for a while" Kiba elaborated shifting to look behind the female "he got you back here" his free hand ghosted over the area that he had found the offending bullet hole allowing Mahina to rest her head against his shoulder "It looks pretty bad, are you alright to move around?"

"I'll be fine" Mahina sighed out closing her eyes and taking in Kiba's scent now that she was even closer than she had been before, it never ceased to amaze her what a calming effect this one smell had on her "I just need a minute to rest"

"Alright" though she didn't see it she could feel Kiba nodding "We have time, get all the rest you need. Then we'll look for the others and get out of here"

"…Right"


	11. A forest that is dead

I've been gone for a very very long time. In all honesty it was never my intent to be away for so long but life really gets in the way whenever I try to get into it but hopefully can update faster like I use to again. Thank you all for being patient with me.

**Thanks to Crystal-wolf-gaurdain-967, MorWolfMor, and Shirou Okawa for reviewing last chapter**

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><p><strong>Chapter X:<strong> A Forest that is dead.

* * *

><p>"Nn!"<p>

Having a human shift had its useful moments. The long digits that lined the human hand were slender and could be very precise when used correctly. However Kiba, who was only now beginning to understand the human form after changing to his over the days since Freeze City, wasn't as skilled in using human digits. He was clumsy and that made certain task painful to endure like, for example, digging a bullet out of someone's back.

"Ah!" Mahina yowled in pain. She clenched the trunk of the tree her body was pressed against with hope that it would direct her focus away from what was being done to her. She tried her best not to scream out in pain but as she clenched her teeth large rivers of tears ran from her eyes "Augh!"

Damn that wolf hunter, if he hadn't been there Mahina wouldn't be in this situation. The bullet he fired that had been meant for Cheza had buried itself into Mahina's back deep in the muscles of her left shoulder. It hurt to move around with the bullet constantly rubbing against sensitive nerves and muscles. She tried but she couldn't go on helping Kiba search for the others. After half the night, or at least they thought it was night, Kiba had decided the bullet had to come out. Mahina agreed and so she removed her jacket and shrugged her blouse off her shoulders so the male could access the wound.

"I'm almost there" Kiba soothed the female when she let out a weak whimper "I can feel it now"

"…okay" Mahina nodded and braced herself. As it would turn out the bullet was much deeper than either wolf originally had thought and so Kiba was literally digging his clumsy fingers into the hole in an attempt to grip the bullet and pull it out, each attempt was more painful than the last. Mahina could feel Kiba trying to grip the iron in her back and with every movement new found pain shot through the she-wolf and she howled in anguish being overcome with spasms until Kiba pushed her against the tree trunk with surprising force.

"Hold still" Kiba's stern voice spoke but the pain was much too great to take. With a snarl Mahina pushed off the tree and lunged at the white wolf, together they tumbled to the ground with Kiba dodging Mahina's snapping teeth despite being in a disadvantaging position. He managed to fee a hand and immediately dug it into the wound. Mahina threw her head back and shrieked loudly, her paws replaced by hands that gripped the fabric of Kiba's jacket. She yelled on bundling up the material before bracing herself against the male with a shudder.

"K-Kiba…" she stammered, she was starting to see white because of the pain. Kiba said nothing in reply, he kept a firm grip on the object causing the she-wolf pain and with an all mighty cry from Mahina Kiba yanked the bullet out. With the wound no longer plugged Mahina could feel the warmth of her blood staining her fur as it flowed free. The females grip slackened allowing Kiba the ability to sit up "…Thank you" Mahina breathed gripping her shoulder; it ached from force that had been needed to get the bullet out. Kiba nodded his head before holding his hand out offering the bloody metal to the she-wolf. She grimaced shifting her eyes to the ground "you keep it" she told him before clambering off of him.

"Are you alright?" Kiba questioned

"Fine-" Mahina started to say but as she stood back up utterly blinding pain shot up and down her spine and she dropped back to the ground in almost a dead heap. The pain was so great in that instant all Mahina could do was lay where she'd fallen and spasm in pain. Within her blinding pain Mahina felt a warm hand rest over the wound.

"You should rest" Mahina craned her neck to look back at the male looming over her with those deep Azure eyes of his. He stared down at her before turning his attention to the bullet hole in her flesh "The bullet was really deep, it's going to hurt to move around"

"But Cheza-" Mahina tried but Kiba shook his head

"Is with the others" he interrupted her gently pushing her back down when she tried to push herself up "lay down Mahina"

"But…" still Mahina tried to get up only to grunt in pain and fall back down gripping her shoulder.

"You won't help anyone the way you are now" Kiba spoke and it was the truth. How could they hope to find the rest of their pack when Mahina was collapsing from pain with every other step. She sighed and finally gave to the white males will relaxing under Kiba's touch. Perhaps she just needed some sleep, maybe she'd feel sore when she woke up but that would be better than the pain she felt now, much better.

Kiba settled down beside Mahina's form now that she had relaxed on the ground. He laid his neck over hers and sighed but other than that he said nothing and Mahina was okay with this. The two of them, Mahina and Kiba, seemed to have developed a lacking need to communicate when alone together. The silence was anything but silent for them oddly enough, tales of unspoken comfort drifted from white male to slender female like the earth and sea. Though both were different in their own ways they mixed in quiet harmony. It was in this quiet that Mahina found peace of mind and eventually sleep. However sleep was not as peaceful or soothing as silence with Kiba.

"_**Who are you?"**_

'_**Who I am is of no importance'**_

"_**Why are you here?"**_

'_**To warn you'**_

"_**Warn me?"**_

"_Stay with me!" a voice spoke to her in a deep tone of panic as the person panted from running. Through her hazy vision long halls whizzed by, her head hung in the air lulling about and bouncing in time with the person that ran with her in their arms "Please, please just hang on. I'll fix it! I'll fix you! You'll be better soon"_

'_**Two years from today I will return for your soul'**_

"_**My soul?...why would you do that?"**_

"_Is it?..." Her hazy vision was returning to her if only a bit. No longer was she being carried with haste but laying on soft cushions and fabric. Her partially open eyes gazed upon a man looming over her that she did not recognize. It must have shown in her expression because a stone look came to his face and he nodded in some sort of understanding "Paradise sickness"_

'_**Because that is the curse of this house'**_

_She was falling into a sleep, a deep sleep but why? Why couldn't she wake? She remembered…she remembered fainting, of suddenly falling to the ground but she had been gazing into something before she fainted, something that had caused her to faint. Something….something…an animal, a __**beast**__, a feral creature as pure as snow._

_A wolf...a white wolf…a white wolf!_

Sucking in as much air as she could Mahina's eyes shot open and she woke from her sleep. She looked about franticly expecting to still be laying in sheets and cushions only to find that she was on the ground in a deafening silence. As her breath steadied Mahina tried to sit up but something was holding her down from her waist. It was now that the she-wolf felt the moisture of saliva and the texture of a tongue against her back. Now she remembered, she had been shot there in her back protecting Cheza. The others had escaped the hunter with the maiden and Kiba had escaped with Mahina. The group was separated and Mahina was alone with Kiba.

"Kiba" Mahina spoke the males name; she tucked ebony locks behind her ear and glanced over her shoulder. Kiba was exactly where he had been when Mahina had fallen asleep, he paused in his action and stopped nursing Mahina's wound "It's alright" the female breathed, slowly she pushed herself up despite the concern that flash in Kiba's eyes. "I'll be okay now"

"It doesn't hurt?" Kiba questioned as Mahina pushed the sleeves of her blouse back up her shoulder.

"A little" she confessed wincing when she felt a slight throb of pain in her shoulder "but I can bear it" of course Kiba wasn't convinced but if he wanted to say anything he didn't, settling for watching the she-wolf closely while she slipped her jacket back on. She wasn't sure how long the two of them had been resting there but she certainly felt like they had rested enough for now. Rising to her feet with a slight wobble before quickly being steadied by her male companion Mahina cast her confusing, almost nightmarish dream behind her and motioned for Kiba to lead the way with a nod of her head. Azure stared into Crimson in the deafening silence that was this forest before Kiba nodded his head and took off in a leap that Mahina had no trouble keeping up with.

Forest were realms of beauty, the space that was them contained the beautiful balance that was life and death, where the natural circle of life stopped for no one. Forest were supposed to be filled with green plant life and animals of all shapes, sizes, and colors but this forest… as Mahina trailed behind Kiba she took in the city of white trees that surrounded them. A forest was supposed to give off an unnatural, yet very natural, aura of life that even humans had the ability to sense even if just a bit but this place…it was silent and empty as if all that may have once had life among these tall trees had abandoned it but that wasn't all there was to it. No…it didn't just feel like the forest had been abandoned, it was like it the air held a yearning to it…like the woods craved the life it once held and would go through great lengths to make it so. Mahina felt a small shudder run up her spine as a feeling as though invisible arms wrapped around her came to her senses. After a moment of feeling this she shook her head slightly, she must have lost too much blood, she was becoming delusional.

"I can't smell anything in this place…" Kiba's calm voice earned Mahina's gaze "It might take some time to find them, especially if they're moving around like us"

"I'm sure they're looking for us as well" Mahina commented lightly casting another gaze at their surroundings "Poor Hige, he must be getting frustrated that he can't smell anything" to this comment Kiba made no reply. Though Mahina could do nothing but stare at the back of Kiba's head his body language was enough to give him away even if just slightly.

Kiba was skilled in hiding is emotions but as Mahina spent more time with him she noticed little changes in his demeanor, his shoulder at that moment seemed slightly tenser like a cat on high alert as he walked and every moment or so he would glance back over his shoulder at her. If Mahina was too far back for his liking Kiba would slow down or stop all together until she was at a distance that satisfied him, Kiba was getting nervous and Mahina couldn't blame him because she was too. If what Hige had said was true the local humans called this place the forest of death because all who entered it never came out. When she had heard of this Mahina wasn't too bothered, humans were odd creatures with no natural sense of direction so it wasn't surprising that they would easily become lost and confused in such thick woods but now she wondered just what made this forest so hard to navigate through that humans, with their advanced technology, and wolfs, with their instincts and sense of smell, alike could find themselves lost in its depths.

"Can you sense Cheza?" Kiba questioned turning to face the she-wolf figuring it would be easier to follow Mahina's instincts in this situation over his. After all his always seemed to point in the right direction but Mahina's never failed to lead directly to Cheza on numerous occasions without fail since the day that the white male and the slender female had first met and joined forces. Mahina closed her eyes and tried what she had done many times before. She reached out into the darkness that came before her closed lids, she reached across what felt like miles of endless black until she felt like it would go on forever. She couldn't feel Cheza, not even a slight flicker of her beautiful energy no matter how far she reached…this forest…what was it doing to them?

Mahina turned her head in the direction she felt something coming from and let her eyes open. There was no winding path before her eyes, no road to lead them to the call. It was just empty white trees going on forever.

"That way" the she-wolf pointed "It's faint, and I don't really know if it Cheza or not, but it's all we've got" she turned to look back at Kiba. The white male nodded his head and with him taking the lead they were off again as fast as Mahina's condition would allow. They moved for what felt like days and the feeling never once became stronger no matter how many times Kiba asked, each time Mahina would give him the same answer: 'No, not even close'. Time felt out of place here, there was no way to tell what part of the day it was or if it was even day to begin with. The trees...they just twisted and wound around each other creating a barrier so thick the sun couldn't make the leaves glow in their light.

Mahina's wound, the bullet hole in her back, made traveling hard.

It throbbed from time to time and the energy the she-wolf put into putting up with was draining her. They had to go back to taking breaks between distances so she could catch her breath. Kiba stood atop a high branch in a tree opposite to Mahina and scanned the area, he had hoped that if they got up higher that they could spot something, a clearing where Mahina could properly rest or something, but the forest was too dense.

"Looks like we're out of luck" the white wolf remarked with a sigh, they'd just have to keep going in the direction they had been going in before and hope for the best. Kiba turned and looked back at the female with him; she was leaning against the trunk of the tree she stood in gripping her shoulder and panting. Her usually pale human skin looked unnaturally paler and even from the distance Kiba could tell she was sweating bullets. This raised the red flag and waved it in his head as the white wolf turned to fully face Mahina "are you okay Mahina?" he asked

Mahina barely showed any sign that she had heard Kiba's question of concern but she did hear him. It was looking at him that prove to be fatal for her. When Mahina raised her head and tried to focus her eyes on the male she was left confused when she saw two of him spiraling before her eyes. Still panting Mahina shook her head slightly in an effort to shake the image from her head but it was no use, the world was spinning now and for a brief moment darkness crept up on the she-wolf. The next thing she knew she was going down. Kiba called out to Mahina when he saw her shake her head, she didn't answer him settling for shutting her eyes and-

"Mahina!" Kiba barked out the female's name eyes gong wide as Mahina suddenly dropped off the branch she stood on in a nosedive for the ground far below them. Without giving it any thought Kiba dove off the branch he stood on after her catching up with her free fall and catching her with ease. He landed with a little difficulty with Mahina in his arms. The female grunted softly from the landing but otherwise fell limp in Kiba's hold. He turned the she-wolf around to look at him but was met with a paler then usual face and an unfocused look of bewilderment from Mahina "are you alright?" he questioned pressing a hand to her cheek in hopes that it would center her focus. Mahina's crimson orbs shifted to gaze up at Kiba for a moment before they blinked furiously and she let them droop.

"…no" she groaned out, he head felt too heavy to keep up so she settled for letting it drop against Kiba's shoulder, she closed her eyes to the world, it would stop spinning before her and it made her dizzy, "I feel…weak…" she confessed though if Kiba asked she wouldn't be able to give an answer as to why she suddenly felt this way. Kiba didn't need an answer; his nose twitched when Mahina let her head drop against him and sent a wave of her scent wafting up at him. Mahina's scent, which usually danced with the scent of lunar flowers and other things, now smelled like blood and lots of it more then he remembered smelling when they had started their search in fact. Shifting his weight, Kiba turned Mahina to her side despite her weak whimper of protest.

There it was, the left side of her jacket had darkened with dark crimson and the smell of blood became stronger. The wound must have started bleeding again while they were moving around, or maybe Kiba hadn't nursed it enough it had been bleeding since Mahina had woken up, and had bled so much it stain half Mahina's jacket. No wonder she felt weak, it was surprising she had lasted this long without noticing but at this rate there was no way the she-wolf could go on, she would end up killing herself if she hadn't already condemned herself. Lowering Mahina so she lay on the ground Kiba quickly slipped the jacket off of the female, when he did this Mahina stirred from her dizzy stupor.

"Kiba…" she raised her head from the ground keeping it up for a moment before letting it drop back down on the ground "what are you…"

"Hold still" Kiba ordered calmly brushing ebony locks out of the way so he could survey the damage. It didn't look like the wound was bleeding too badly anymore, it still was but just barely, it would be best if they took a rest for now and let it clot up rather than keep moving and get Mahina's blood pumping thus lead to more bleeding. Kiba sat back with a slight nod to his own thoughts, Cheza would be safe with the others, for not he had to focus on keeping Mahina alive. "We're going to rest here for a while" he informed the female watching her look over her shoulder at him.

"But-" she moved to protest but Kiba shook his head

"You lost a lot of blood" he told her making it clear why she had suddenly found herself on the ground instead up of up in the trees like she recalled she had been before she blackout momentarily "if you keep pushing yourself like this you're going to kill yourself"

"….Nghn" Mahina close her eyes and carefully dropped her head back on the ground. There was no use arguing with Kiba, he was stubborn and he would do things his way regardless if Mahina didn't want to. He wouldn't move from this spot and if she wanted to keep going she would need his help to do so. At the moment sleep didn't sound like such a bad idea, she would rest for a while and hopefully feel much better when she woke up-A twig snapped nearby and Mahina's ear twitched in response to it.

They weren't alone.

From her place on the ground Mahina opened her eyes back up and scanned the area the best she could. Before she had a chance to more or say anything Kiba moved forward standing so he faced the direction of the sound and hover protectively over Mahina's weak form. His snowy white fur bristled, his tail went up straight, his lip curled upward and he bared his large fangs in a threatening growl for whoever was coming their way. Were they in danger? Mahina couldn't really tell but if they were she had to help, the she-wolf let out a slight whine as she rolled onto her stomach and attempted to push herself up.

'_Stay still'_ Kiba commanded her sharply

'_But someone's-'_

'_I know'_ Kiba's snarls grew louder and his stance became a low crouch almost completely blocking Mahina from the view of whoever was coming. The pair watched the bushes shift and rustle before them and just has a hand broke the surface Kiba sprung into action. With a loud bark followed by a spine chilling snarl the white wolf leapt the distance between him and the intruder and dove headlong into the bush taking his target down with him in a loud yell. Both Kiba and his victim fell through the bush and went tumbling through the dirt. The intruder landed hard on his back with a load grunt before yelling out and veering his head to the side narrowly missing Kiba chomping down on his face. The white wolf didn't bother to take in the appearance of the creature he attack, to his eyes it appeared human and in Mahina's weak state human's would be the certain death of her. Mahina wasn't going to die in here, as he drew back to ready another attack on the human the memory of his promise to the she-wolf came back to him. He'd get her and Cheza and the their whole pack to Paradise and with that thought he lunged downward again ready to do as much damage to the human he had pinned as he could. Again the person dodged the attack yelling and fighting Kiba all the way.

"Hey!" a familiar voice reached Kiba through his adrenaline rush "Watch it!" they veered their head away from another attack once again "Kiba! Kiba it's me!" the voice finally broke through and stopped Kiba just as he was mere inches from finally catching his victim in the face. The person's face blanched immediately, it looked frozen in horror but it was familiar. Closing his mouth, Kiba drew back to get a better look.

'_Hige'_ He state realizing he'd just attacked the chubby male instead of the human intruder he thought he was trying to kill.

"Yea!" Hige bellowed getting over it shock, he held his hand up in surrender just in case Kiba decided he wanted to attack him again.

'_What are you doing sneaking around?'_ Kiba questioned finally calming down and stepping off his fellow pack member _'I almost killed you'_

"I wasn't sneaking around!" Hige barked out sitting up and pressing a hand against his chest "Man you scared the crap out of me, and who are you to talk about sneaking around! I was minding my own damn business and suddenly you come out of nowhere with your sneak attack and take me out!" Kiba didn't seem very bothered by the fact that he'd almost killed Hige, perhaps he did a little but like usually he showed no sign of it visibly. Now fully off the ember wolf Kiba stood up and helped him up.

"What are you doing wondering around by yourself anyway?" the white wolf questioned "I thought you were with the others, where are they?"

"I am" Hige replied rotation his shoulder in the socket for a moment before sighing and shoving his hand in his pockets "We've been looking for you and Mahi since we got away from that crazy old man but this place…" he looked at the woods around them and so did Kiba "I can't smell anything around here. We thought we'd never find you but then I thought I smelt blood and I followed it hoping I'd find-" a look of realization crossed the chubby wolf's face as he seemed to remember something "That's right!" he barked out "Mahina! We have to hurry and find her, Cheza said she's hurt and when I smell her blood I knew she had to be nearby!"

"You don't have to look far" Kiba turned away from Hige and his curiously stare gripping the bush he had just tumbled through and pulling it back so the chubby male could see the clearing Kiba had been in and revealing Mahina right where Kiba had left her. She was sitting up now gripping her left arm and panting but otherwise looking better then she had moments ago "She's right here"

"Mahina" Hige moved through the bushes and Kiba quickly followed. Mahina raised her head and half lidded eyes landed on the chubby wolf, taking in his concerned face the she-wolf offered a small smile.

"Hige, you're okay" she greeted him

"Forget about me" Hige kneel before Mahina so she wouldn't have to look up at him "Look at you! Are you okay?"

"I've been better" Mahina admitted

"She's lost a lot of blood" Kiba informed Hige "She needs to rest"

"Right" Hige nodded "let get back to the others, Cheza and the runt have been worried sick about the both of you"

* * *

><p>"Man this place is depressing…"<p>

It had been a while since Kiba and Mahina reunited with the group and they, as a whole, began moving together. Like before it was hard to tell just how much time had passed since they'd first entered or how long they had been walking but they kept going either way. Because Mahina was still too weak Kiba carried her on his back, though Mahina was reluctant and complained about it for the first five or six minute before giving up. Now the slender female rested her head on Kiba's shoulder with her eyes closed but listened to Hige talk from the back of the pack.

"I thought forest were supposed to be more alive you know?"

"It's the forest of death remember?" Toboe reminded the chubby male

"It's the reason we didn't have to worry about being follow" Kiba added while Mahina hummed n agreement adjusting her arms so she didn't lose her grip on the male carrying her.

"Human's have to rely on compasses and other sorts of things to get around but for some reason nothing works when they come in the forest" she explained softly never once opening her eyes "They lose their sense of direction and get lost and then that's it….once you go in you never come out"

"That really happens?" Toboe piped up taking a few strides to gaze up at Mahina "How did you know that Mahi?" Mahina hummed in response at first, how did she know that? She couldn't recall so she made up a reason.

"I heard some human's gossiping about it when I was in town" she answered drowsily "they talk about pretty much everything"

"Well I get that" Hige spoke up "but don't you think they're be something around here? Animals? A rabbit maybe?"

"I other words you're hungry" Toboe's amusement was easy to sense

"Yea, so sue me" Hige replied defensively.

"We'll probably find a city when get out of this forest" Kiba stopped walking and turned to look back at Hige and Toboe. Mahina chose this moment to open her eyes and found them connect with Kiba's immediately "We'll get something to eat when we get there and rest for a couple of days, so just hang on until then" he was speaking to all of them but his eyes were on Mahina. From this distance, being so close and all, Mahina was certain she saw great worry in the male's eyes but she could have just as easily imagined it, she wasn't at her best at the moment after all. Mahina nodded to show that she understood.

"That's if we ever get out of here" Tsume finally spoke for the first time since the pack had all met back up, all head turned to him. The grey wolf shifted his weight and kicked something up from the ground. It bounced before rolling across the dirt and towards Toboe. It was a skull. As expected Toboe yelped loudly when he realized was stood at his feet and leapt as far back from the skull as he could go. With a startlingly loud _Buzz!_ A bug the size of a small dog sprung forth from behind Toboe, startled by the pup, and took off into the air. It circled round and shot back in what looked like an attack directed at the pup but just before it could, probably, latch itself onto the copper wolfs face Tsume caught it. "…there are plenty of bugs though…" the grey wolf observed looking the squirming insect over as it buzzed on and tried to get free.

"I've never seen a bug like that before…" Mahina mused craning her neck past Kiba's head to get a better look at it from where she stood. It certainly was a big guy, way bigger than any bug one could ever hope to find outside these woods. Tsume stared at it a moment more before sticking it in Hige's face.

"Here" Hige flinched and took a step away from the offensive creature being stuck in his face "You're hungry aren't you? Chow down"

"Why do I have to do it?"

"'cause you have the strongest stomach" Toboe chuckled out

"I'm not your taster!" Hige protest "And who died and made you the leader anyway!" but Tsume didn't appear to really care what Hige was or wasn't. He didn't move from his position and kept the bug held out for Hige to eat. Mahina watched from her place as Hige grimaced at the thing taking it in his hands, was he really going to eat it? That was a new low even for him "I know!" he pipe up with a bright smile on his face "We'll give it to Cheza!" give what to Cheza? Mahina arched a brow at this statement and became a bit tense as the chubby male came bounding their way and stopped before Cheza with still squirming bug in hand "I bet you're hungry right?" he offered it to her

"Kiba" Mahina spoke the wolf name into his ear tightening her hold on his neck slightly; Kiba understood stepping forward and knocking the bug out of Hige's hand before he could get it too close to Cheza. The bug shot to the ground and burst falling apart from the impact of its landing.

"Hey!" Hige barked out

"Cheza _does not_ eat bugs" Kiba informed the ember wolf re-adjusting his hold on Mahina so she didn't fall off his back.

"Well then what the hell do we feed her?"

"This one doesn't eat anything" Cheza answered Hige calmly. She had stayed by Kiba's side quietly since learning that Mahina was, though harmed, alive and had settled into walking beside the white wolf as he carried the only she-wolf of the pack.

"Nothing?" Hige repeated perplexed by the concept of not eating anything at all

"…now that you mentioned it I don't think I've ever seen her eat anything" Tsume pointed out

"She drank some water that one time…" Toboe muttered under his breath scratching his head as he tried to recall a moment when he saw Cheza eat anything but he would find anything. None of them would.

It was true, Cheza did not eat anything and she never would for she would never have a need to so long as she lived. A flower maiden she may be but she was still a flower through and through and so she was a plant in a way, just like the Hanabito she could with if not cared for and like any other flower she could flourish if she was cared for. Also, like all plants, she only needed two things to survive really.

"No matter what way you look at it Cheza is still a flower" Mahina elaborated for her confused pack members "She drinks and she basks…that's all she needs"

"Basks in what?" Kiba asked Cheza smiled at Kiba and looked up as did everyone else but there was nothing to be seen above them other than an endless tangle of tree branches blocking any form of light out and keeping it from shining down on them.

"…but not here…" Cheza breathed

"Oh I get it" Toboe hummed "The sun"

"Well that does make sense" Hige muttered and Mahina nodded her head but there was a problem.

There was no light, no moonlight no sunlight….nothing.

As they turned and moved on Mahina turned her head in Cheza's direction, Cheza was like a flower…she _was_ a flower and flowers needed only two things to survive even if they weren't tended to by someone else: Water and light. This forest however… Mahina closed her eyes and tracked back to the feeling the forest had given her back when she and Kiba had first entered it, that emptiness and utter yearning she had felt going as deep as any of the roots of the millions of white trees that surrounded them. They would find no water in the dry, cracked, barren earth beneath their feet and they would find no light peeking through the endless tangle of branches over their heads.

Hige continued to complain as they walked on in search of a way out. He complained about being hungry, he complained about being lost, he complained about complaining too much, if there was something to complain about Hige found some way to complain about it but Mahina found that she didn't have the energy to make him stop. For a good percentage of the complaining Mahina had stayed resting on Kiba's back her eyes closed and head resting against the white male's shoulder but now, after insisting she was okay to walk, the she-wolf walked beside Cheza. Even after resting for what must have been most of the day Mahina couldn't help but feel weak.

Perhaps Kiba had been right, maybe she really did lose too much blood from that wound because something in said she needed something. She was slowly losing something in her being and as time slowly ticked by and more of this slipped away from her Mahina could barely making out anything outside of Hige's voice. She couldn't keep focus anymore and it was a surprise that she could be walking right now, her limbs trembled with every step she took but she pressed on.

She couldn't slow the pack down. Not here where sunlight and water did not exist.

Mahina raise her head and gaze as the hum of Hige's voice reached her ears again.

Was he still complaining? Really? It was bad enough they were stuck in a dead forest with a flower who only necessities they couldn't find but to add on listening to this over fed wolf complain, not even Toboe complained this much! Focusing on the chubby male ahead of her and registering what he was saying Mahina fazed back into the goings on around her. As it would turning out Hige wasn't complaining at that precise moment.

"You know, this place isn't so bad once you get use to it" he chirped happily with his hand deep into the pockets of his sweatshirt "There's nothing to fight over and the best part is there's no humans around" Mahina grimaced at the very thought of there being a human in these parts and she gently gripped her shoulder. The memory of being shot by a human was still very fresh in her mind and she agreed with Hige in that moment "We've got it all to ourselves"

"Yea, and if we get hungry there's plenty of bugs to eat" Toboe added in just as cheerful as Hige

"Fat chance pal!" Hige snorted

"Then you better not complain when we don't share them with you" Tsume chimed in making a fair point, the two things Hige was great at was complaining and eating and if he wasn't doing one he was doing the other usually. Even though the comment itself seemed harmless enough Hige didn't seem to take very kindly to it. He looked back at Tsume from over his shoulder and glared at the older male. Since he was in the front of the line up at the moment everyone had to stop walking just so Hige could start trouble. Mahina sighed as they stopped walking and tried to remain as still as she could, she was feeling like she had before again, everything was spinning before her eyes and she had to close them just to keep from falling over where she stood.

"Like I said before, who died and made you the leader" Hige shot at Tsume.

"Neither of us is the leader Hige" Kiba's calm voice spoke from the back of the pack "Ours just isn't that kind of pack"

"And what kind of pack are we?" Tsume questioned, his voice was dripping with agitation as usual.

"Come on guys, that shouldn't really matter right?" It was after Toboe had said this that Mahina lost her hearing again. With a quiet grimace the she-wolf pressed her hand against her head and pressed her lids shut. Something wasn't right here…this wasn't just a feeling of dizziness, there was no way she felt like this because of she'd lost a lot of blood. It felt more like she had eaten for days, hadn't drank water for months, spent years under a hot, merciless, sun. These feeling certainly weren't her own, it felt like she was going to faint!

"Cheza!" Mahina snapped out of it when she heard Kiba's shout with suddenly alertness to his voice and when the female was able to focus again she could see why. Cheza was on the ground, leaning against Kiba and gasping for air.

"Cheza" Mahina dropped to her knees before the maiden "are you okay?" she brushed rose hair out of the flowers face. It was like Cheza had sudden gotten a fever, sweat coated her brow and her skin felt hot to the touch that feeling of weakness rolled off Cheza running up Mahina's arm were it enter the she-wolf "you must be exhausted" Mahina sighed out pushing more hair out of Cheza's face. She had almost forgotten that Cheza hadn't basked or had water for however long they had been stuck in the death trap. She wasn't keeping of the time but it must have been a while because it felt like they had been there forever.

"We'll rest here for a while" Kiba suggested

"It is alright" Cheza panted "This one is fine"

"A bird!"

Mahina turned her eyes away from Cheza when Hige suddenly claimed this.

"Where?" Toboe questioned looking in the direction Hige was, Mahina did the same but she didn't see anything.

"It's the forest of death" Tsume stated flatly "you must be seeing things"

"No" Hige stated "I'm sure I heard the flatting of wings above us"

"Flapping of wings?" Toboe repeated

"I didn't hear anything" Mahina chimed in, if he had really heard it then all of them would have. This forest had been quiet most of their journey through it aside from the noises they were making. Even a human could hear with great precision in this place and yet Hige seemed to be the only one that heard the wings of a bird.

"It was an owl" Hige muttered to himself as if his comrades had made no sound of disapproval "and that means food!"

"Hige! Where are you going?" Mahina called as the chubby wolf went running off in the direction he had heard the bird from. "Don't go off on your own!" she yelled but still Hige didn't listen, in fact he kept on going which wasn't the smartest idea Hige has ever had. The last time Hige went shamelessly chasing after food it had almost gotten both him and Mahina killed.

"Get back here!" Tsume yelled after him yet still Hige kept going until he disappeared among the trees. "Dammit, that idiot" the grey wolf cursed, all they could hear now were Hige's retreating footsteps as he hurried after his imaginary bird "stay here" he commanded Toboe before following after Hige.

That left Toboe, Kiba and Mahina to stay and watch over Cheza. Now that she had a moment to catch her breath the flower maiden had stopped panting. Her eyes were closed in what looked like a light sleep. Mahina too allowed herself to relax even for a moment. They couldn't do much with Hige off chasing hallucinations and Tsume running after him and like the ember wolf had said before no humans were anywhere near this forest so why get all worked up when it did nothing but waste much needed energy. Mahina let her head drop and she left out a soft sigh.

"A forest with no water to nurture its roots…" Kiba looked away from Cheza when Mahina spoke this softly "and no sun to help it grow yet it grows big and wide and vast. A forest with no life in it…" suddenly Mahina was feeling lightheaded again, she barely registered Toboe's yelp of her name before she felt the cold ground against her face. "This truly is a forest of death…" Even the ground held no warmth of life "and we've gotten lost in it…" everything was becoming dark again; she couldn't keep herself conscious anymore. As the world swirled away from Mahina she could have sworn she heard flapping. The flapping of wings just like Hige had said before and a few hoot to go with it.

_Lost as one! Well done! Well done!_

_It felt like she stayed on the ground forever. Like she had fallen into a deep sleep and was only now waking from it. She stirred just a bit and slowly opened her eyes to her surroundings. The ground was cold and foreign against her face and as she groaned and pushed herself up to her hands and knees she was met with utter confusion. Where was she? She looked around at the surrounding shrubs and bushes and scattered trees but found nothing she felt was familiar to her. How did she get here? And where was here?_

_Pushing herself so she sat on the ground she ran a hand through her hair gripping her head with both hands. She closed her eyes and tried to remember how it was she had gotten where she was right now but she found nothing. Literally nothing. It was like looking into a black pit, there were no memories of anything in her head let alone how she got here. Who was she? Where had she come from? What happen to her? The strain of trying to recall these things made her head throb and she winced slightly letting her hands drop from her head before slumping completely in her place. She needed to relax, if she sat here panicking she'd never get anything done, she'd never learn anything. So she stopped and she breathed and she calmed herself._

_Her hands went from being limp at her side to being pressed against the ground, she stretched her fingers out and clawed at the ground dragging up lines of dry dirt but the marks she left on the ground didn't look like that one would leave behind with the hand she was looking at. The prints of the ground looked like that of an animals, it was a paw print. She raised her hand to her eye level and gazed at it curiously, her digits were coated with a light layer of the dirt she had just dug up but with their shape and length they couldn't have caused such a print on the ground. Not unless she was a…_

_Something tugged at the back of her mind in that instant and instead of staring curiously she pressed her hand against the ground and started clawing again. It felt so natural to claw at the earth like this- no she wasn't clawing she was digging, following some natural instinct she was digging and as she dug she felt a change. Her skin prickled and her hair stood on end as if a cold chill had washed over her and she dug harder than before. Before she knew what she was really doing she was nose deep in the nose throwing dirt behind her with absolute abandon. It went everywhere, stained her face and her fur until she felt a shockwave of realization hit her and she stopped digging._

_Raising her head she backed up from the shallow hole she had dug moving to a nearby body of water she now took notice to. Walking on her hands and knees, she inched closer to the edge before gazing down at her reflection. She was met with fierce looking silver eyes on face covered in grey fur dusted with specks of brown, a modest jowl and pointed black ears._

_That's right, she was no human, she was a wolf._

_Turning away from the water she looked up above at the glowing orb in the sky over her head. The moon was so full and bright and she reveled under it glow closing her eyes to taking in its light. The wind picked up gently and with it a scent that circled her upturned nose. There was a scent and a sort of pulling coming from it like she needed to follow it and find the person the scent belonged to. But who did it belong to? Did she know this person? It didn't matter; before she knew what she was doing she had turned in the direction of the scent._

'…_.Cheza' the name came to her so easily and as soon as it did she sprang forward and began running hard and fast._

* * *

><p>Hige and Tsume hurried back to the others as soon as Toboe's terrified howl echoed through the forest knowing that he wouldn't have howled if something hadn't happened. They returned to the spot where they left the others as fast as they could.<p>

"What happen?" Tsume yelled out when they spotted their fellow pack members were in their sights. Toboe looked up and turned to face them as much as he could his face etched with its usual worry.

"I don't know, all of a sudden Mahi just…" the pup trailed off and turned away from them looking down in his lap. Her ebony hair fanned around her head to the point that they couldn't see Toboe's lap underneath it. It was like looking at how Cheza had been a moment ago; the female was panting heavily and her face was dripping with sweat. Toboe leaned forward to check on her "She just fell over and now she won't wake up" the pup explained brushing hair out of her face hoping that she might show signs of regaining consciousness but she didn't. Hige kneeled down in front of Toboe and scanned her over as well.

"Well I can't say I'm surprised" he spoke honestly, he had seen the condition Mahina had been in before they had regrouped and it didn't look much different to what he was seeing right now. "She did lose a lot of blood when that crazy old man shot her, she almost passed a couple of times before from it and all this walking probably isn't helping" what she needed was to rest, if they kept making her move around like this she'd never regain enough strength and this forest would take its first victim from their group, the chubby male was going to suggest this but Toboe wasn't done, he looked from Mahina to Cheza.

"And then Cheza started to…" heads turned Cheza where she lay in Kiba's arms. She, too, had fallen unconscious but that's not what the runt was talking about.

"What is that?" Hige found himself asking drawing close enough to gaze at the brown, vain looking, line that ran up the flower maiden's neck. Those certainly hadn't been there when he had gone after that stupid owl. Tsume kneeled down to look as well.

"Is the flower…withering?" Tsume questioned, Kiba's face tensed up at the very thought.

"We have to get her some water" he told the grey wolf urgently "even sunlight will help"

"We can't" Tsume answered roughly looked up over them all at the endless branches that tangled among themselves over their heads "The forest is too thick, and the ground is too dry"

"Then we have to hurry and find water" Kiba didn't waste time placing the weak maiden on his back and standing. Hige grimaced at the thought; they couldn't just get up and leave right this minute. Mahina couldn't be moved right this minute, Hige looked down at the she-wolf as she continued to pants and sweat and if what he felt was right she was coming down with a fever.

"Wait" he spoke up before Kiba could start walking away from them "Mahina's down for the count, she needs to rest"

"If we waste time Hige" Kiba spoke sternly "if we wait Cheza might dye"

"And if we keep moving Mahina _will_" Hige replied just as sternly glaring lightly at the white wolf. Hige understood that Cheza was important to them, they needed her to get to paradise but at what cost? Risking Mahina's life just run around the woods lost, if she pushed herself anymore she wouldn't make it and for what? For the slim chance that they'd find water and sunlight? What if they didn't? Cheza would wither and die and they'd lose Cheza and Mahina both. Kiba stopped for a moment as if to think about what Hige had said but then he kept on walking to Hige's shock.

What was wrong with that guy? When he had crossed paths with Kiba before, when Mahina was in a similar state, the guy nearly ripped his face off trying to protect her but now it was like he didn't even care! Hige continued to glare at Kiba while Toboe held the unconscious Mahina close to him quietly pleading to Kiba to let them rest for a moment so Mahina could regain a little bit of her strength.

"Carry her Hige" Tsume intervened seeing at this point that Kiba wasn't going to bend to the idea of resting. It was clear to see that his first priority was to make sure that Cheza survived. Hell, Mahina was just as attached to the flower if not more than Kiba was, if the roles were reversed she probably would have done the same thing. Hige and Toboe looked Tsume's way but he simply gave them his usual stern face "it'll be easier on her if we just carry her, she won't have to move around and besides it's not like she can do much walking while she's unconscious" He had a point that was for sure so with a glare of resentment towards Kiba Hige sighed and hoisted the she-wolf onto his back.

Surprisingly Mahina was pretty light, though it wasn't like he'd expected her to be heavy or anything, it was almost like he wasn't carrying anything at all and when Toboe adjusted her head so it rest on Hige's shoulder and her hair rolled over with it the chubby wolf's sensitive nose was taken prisoner by her scent.

Sure Mahina smelt like blood, with how many humans she had been attacking and killing lately the scent of blood just seemed to stick to her fur, but with Hige's sharp nose he could smell what was under it. Her scent was very distinct for a wolf, it didn't smell like all wolf to Hige, it was sweet and tempting and had a supernaturally calming effect on him cooling his anger towards Kiba and clearing his head a bit. Now that he thought about it getting out of here as soon as possible was good for Mahina too, she could bask under the moon and regain more strength and with Cheza's need filled the pack could take a breather and rest while she healed. Still…that didn't mean Kiba had to be such a jerk about it all and he should have shown a little concern for Mahina.

"Do you have her?" Toboe's voice broke Hige's trail of thought and made him look at the runt. Toboe had his hands out in front of him standing in front of Hige as if he expected Mahina to going flipping forward off his back; at least someone else was worried about Mahi's health.

"I've got her" Hige confirmed adjusting a bit so the female's almost none existent weight was well balanced in his hold "Come on, let get going"

With that said they were off again on the search for sunlight, water or a way out of this damn forest. Much like they had before, the pack walked and walked for hours, days it felt like, never stopping and never slowing down from the fast pace walking Kiba had them walking in and through it all Mahina didn't stir from her sleep. Toboe would trail back every now and again to check on how she was doing, she'd stopped panting and it seemed like her fever was starting to break so that was an up to the constant down this whole trip seemed to be but she was still weak and like mentioned before still unconscious.

"How are we going to figure out which way to go?" questioned Toboe a while later "all the tree's look the same" Hige sighed leaning forward the best he could without losing his grip on Mahina and sniffing the air.

"…I say we go right" he suggested

"Huh? Do you smell water that way Hige?" Toboe questioned a shade of hope flashing across his face but Hige gave the runt a bored look rather than a happy one and shook his head.

"No" he answered honestly with a light shrug "but it standing around here isn't helping"

_Here isn't helping! Here isn't helping!_

Everyone looked back when they heard this voice echoing through the woods, perched on a branch high above them all was the stupid owl from earlier, the one with no scent that taunted Hige and Tsume before.

"An owl?" Kiba muttered while Tsume seethed

"The damn thing is back" he growled

_It can't be helped if there is no light, it can't be help if there is no water, it can't be helped if the flower is withering._

"….wha…" Hige felt slight pressure pushed down on his shoulder as the she-wolf she carried began to stir. He glanced over his shoulder at her as Mahina raised her head slightly, her crimson eyes were glazed over and her face was etched with confusion. Her nose twitched and she furrowed her eyebrows in even more bewilderment. "What's…what's going on?" her nose twitched again and she took a deep breath through it "…Hige?"

"Hey Mahi" the chubby wolf muttered to her to confirmed her curiosity "how are you feeling?"

"What's going on? Why are you carrying me?" the females glazed over eyes looked everywhere but from her facial expression it was almost like she couldn't see anything.

"You passed out a little while ago" Hige explained "We had to keep moving so I've been carrying you since"

"Kiba…" Mahina didn't finish her sentence but Hige got what she was asking: why wasn't Kiba carrying her like before?

"He's carrying Cheza" he answered

"Cheza…" Mahina stared off in a random direction for a moment before closing her eyes and letting her head rest on Hige's shoulder once more "Cheza is…withering" this caught Hige's attention. She had been unconscious when they had discovered that Cheza was withering, how could Mahina have possible known that? Btu then again now that he thought about it Mahi had some odd connection with Cheza like Kiba did. From what he'd seen the she-wolf felt the maiden's emotions like they were her own so why wouldn't she be able to tell that Cheza was withering? "Who's …talking?" Mahina's voice came out in a light voice

"Just some owl" Hige replied turning his gaze back up at the bird

"An…Owl?…I don't smell any Owl…" Mahina muttered

"I know" Hige agreed, this was strange owl in deed

"Alright tell us!" Kiba stepped forward towards the mysterious bird "What's the closest place around here that has water?"

Silence. To everyone's frustration and annoyance the owl for once had nothing to say in response. Stupid Owl, why didn't he just spit it out already! Or maybe he just wanted to see them all dye in this stupid forest.

"Stupid bird" Hige growled "cute the theatrics already! And spill it!"

"She needs….water…" Mahina spoke shifting her weight so her hands gripped Hige's shoulders rather than hung over them. Her grip tighten a bit after she said this and when Hige looked back at her again she had raised her head, her eyes seemed clearer than they had a moment ago "Cheza needs water"

"I know Mahi" Hige nodded "We're trying to get this owl to tell us where we can find some"

"…" Mahina didn't reply this time, instead she stared up at the space where the owl was.

"Do you live in these woods or not! If you do then, tell us!" Kiba yelled up at the bird glaring at it just as hard as the rest of them were "She needs water now!" the Owl didn't reply to the plea, he took off and flew away from them hooting all the way.

_Go astray, Go astray my good wolves! Answers always lye in confusion!_

"We can't lose him! He's the only lead we've got!" They gave chase at Tsume's declaration following the fleeing bird; he was right after all, the owl was the only lead that they had to finding water for Cheza. Both hers and Mahina's lives depended on this slim chance and considering how fast they were running after this owl they were taking it.

_You'll never find what you're looking for… if the search found that which he is searching for it would become a mere object…_

Finally after a while of chasing the Owl stopped and landed before the opening of a large cave with a loud hoot. What was this bird getting at? Were they supposed to go into the cave?

_The answer lies within the darkness, the answer lies within confined spaces! Only those who bravely enter will be rewarded._

"Is that some kind of riddle?" Toboe questioned

"Bird brain here wants us to go into the cave" Hige elaborated blankly, he checked Mahina to see if she was okay, her forehead was pressed against Hige's shoulder but the run to catch the bird didn't seem to bother her very much. Resting against Hige wasn't at all as comfy as Kiba was but he was warm, really warm. But in that warmth Mahina felt something out in the darkness before her eyes. That feeling from earlier…it was here…they were close.

"But is it safe?" Tsume questioned

"Hige" Mahina gripped the males shoulders and raised her head "Hige out me down"

"Huh? Wha-Mahina" Hige protested but by the time he realized she was struggling the she-wolf was off Hige's back and stumbling a step or two on her feet "You shouldn't be walking around, you're far too weak"

"I'll be fine" she replied turning to face the cave "…this feeling…" she took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. Somewhere in there something was calling, it was the same call that she and Kiba had been feeling before. Opening her eyes back up again Mahina glanced at Kiba; his Azure eyes were an intense blaze of nerves "Kiba" Mahina nodded her head towards the cave. Kiba didn't need to be told twice, gripping Cheza tightly, the white wolf made his wave to the entrance of the cage.

"What, Kiba!" Hige jumped forward and grabbed Kiba's shoulder "you're not really going to go in there are you? Are you going to believe what some old owl tells you? This whole thing _stinks_!"

"You tell me where we can find water then!" Kiba snapped at Hige shaking the ember wolfs grip loose "Can you do that Hige?" heads turned to Hige and all watched a frown come to his face as he had no reply to the question.

"At this point we don't have any choice" Mahina spoke softly walking ahead of the two bickering males leaving the others behind without a second thought. "We don't have the luxury of turning down chances right now"

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><p>The pack moved on after this little tiff, the fighting was starting to grow in numbers between Kiba and everyone else in the pack the deeper into the cave they went. Kiba, at that present moment, was more focused on getting Cheza to some water in some light. With that goal burning in his mind he didn't care about the safety or health of himself or the rest of the pack. So far he'd gotten into two arguments with Hige over stopping to rest for Mahina but Kiba would not hear it. He wanted to press on and keep searching or else Cheza would wither. The past two times that the argument had started Mahina had to step in and insisted that she was okay to keep going and they would go on walking.<p>

They stopped after walking for a while more and hit another fork in the road and when they stopped Mahina leaned against the nearest wall to catch her breath. Sure, she was feeling better then she had when she passed out but it was only just barely. Hige was right, Mahina still needed to stop and rest every chance that she got. Hige looked around at the two paths and sighed out in frustration

"We saw this thing a while ago" he complained

"….does that mean we've been going in circles?" Toboe questioned after staring and agreeing with Hige

"Tch" Tsume scuffed "This place is like a damn maze"

"And to make matters worse it all looks the same" Hige agreed

"We went left last time" Kiba interjected and kept moving before tripping on a rock and stumbling forward almost losing his footing in the presses. He recovered his balance just before he could fall over and cursed at his own clumsiness.

"You should take it easy Kiba" Mahina spoke up pushing herself off the wall she was leaning against "If you keep going on like this you're going to tire yourself out-" Kiba whirled around and sent Mahina a hard glare that silenced her quickly. She fell silent and turned her head away from the male and his blazing eyes.

"Kiba" Toboe jumped in before yet another fight come "You're tired right? Maybe I should carry her"

"Why?" Kiba turned and snapped at the pup "Can you carry her? Do you think you can carry her? Answer me!" the large white male snarled at poor Toboe.

"Well I-"

"I'm fine!" Kiba barked out before Toboe could fully reply "So just keep walking"

"Hey!" Mahina pushed off the wall fully, her upper lip curled into a deep snarl towards the white male that was acting so ferocious to the wolf she considered her cub "Would you cut it out! All Toboe is trying to do is help"

"We can't trust your nose anymore" Tsume stepped between Kiba and Mahina with a calm look to him "The scent of flowers has screwed it up"

"My nose is just fine!" Kiba protest

"Kiba…" despite Kiba's yelling and snarling Tsume's voice remained calm and stern as ever "Put Cheza down"

"What?" Kiba's anger calmed for a moment taken back by the command before he was seeing red again "Do you still not trust Cheza, Tsume?"

"With the way you've been acting it's _you_ we can't trust" this time his words took everyone by surprised. Whatever lingering anger might have been around any of the wolves Kiba had ticked off disappeared at the statement. "As leader of a pack you have to be calm and detached and right now you don't have that. It's impossible for someone to be right all the time you know"

"Stay out of my way" Kiba snarled in response rather than take the older wolf's advice in the situation.

"Is that a threat?" Tsume didn't miss a beat

"You guys, come on-"

_Snap!_

The cave echoed with the loud snap of whatever Toboe had just stepped on and stopped him from attempting to smooth the arguing over again. The pup lifted his foot from where he had stepped, under his foot were the remains of some animal. Mahina leaned over it with Hige and Toboe and examined this bones that were sprawled across the ground.

"They're bones" Mahina observed

"Human bones?" Hige asked

"No" Toboe shook his head "They're from a bird"

"A bird" Hige leaned in closer and so did Mahina, the pup was right. Mahina reached down and picked up one of the bones turning it over in her fingers. "What do you think it is?"

"They look like they belonged to an owl" Toboe remarked

"An Owl…" that was strange…didn't a mysterious owl lead them here? Or at least that what Hige had been saying. She was going to question the chubby male about this fact but just as she was about to something sprang forth from the ground under the remains and swiftly crawled its way across the short distance and up Hige's leg. The ember wolf yelped loudly hoping on one foot and kicking the bug off sending it flying away from him. It hit the nearest wall and curled up into a ball.

It didn't look like the bug that they had encountered back in the forest and within seconds of the first one appearing a horde of them quickly followed. The nearest of them sprung forth from the ground and with a loud hiss and shockingly sharp teeth the bug chomped down on Mahina's forearm. She shrieked shaking her arm around before settling for ripping it off when she couldn't shake it off.

"Geez" Mahina snarled gripping her newest wound and backing up into the rest of the pack blood leaking through her fingers "I thought Bug were supposed to eat plants!" she glared at the creatures that now surrounded them.

"I knew we shouldn't have listened to that Owl" Tsume snarled smacking a bug away from him when it shot out for him like one had Mahina.

"We need to get out of here!" Hige declared

"But we're surrounded!" Toboe yelped taking in all of them "Where can we go?" In union, the insects began leaping at them and attacking them. One of them managed to chomp down on Cheza's back, the maiden grunted loudly in response. Toboe yanked the bug off and threw it to the ground and stomping on it.

"We have to get Cheza to safety first" Mahina snarled kicking a bug that had crawled up her leg off and smacking one that flew at her away. There was far too many of them for them to fight off and protect Cheza at the same time. Every time Mahina glanced back at the maiden to make sure she was okay one of them would spring forth and chomp down on her. Yelping Mahina ripped one off her thigh and threw it hard against the cave wall making it shatter into bit.

"Kiba!" Tsume yelled form above "up here!" Mahina looked up; Tsume had found his way to a high ledge and looked like he wanted Kiba to throw Cheza to him. It took him less than a second to consider before he threw Cheza into the air and away from the bug. The grey wolf caught her with ease and disappeared behind the ledge.

"There's too many of them" Mahina stomped down on one that was about to crawl up her leg "We need to get to higher ground before they swarm us. Grunt in agreement the remaining four wolfs at the ground leapt up to higher ledge. Tsume joined them there.

"Are wolves gonna lose to a bunch of bugs?" he questioned once he dropped down to the left of Mahina. The she-wolf scuffed at the very thought of being over powered by insects.

"Tch" Mahina sucked her teeth, brushing dust off her pants and jacket "As if"

"Though I must admit" Toboe smirked "We both like to hang around flowers"

"Heh, nicely said runt" Hige added

"Here they come" Kiba broke the conversation of the pack and focused them on the task at hand. Mahina didn't wait for the queue, her fur began to prickle and before she knew it she had leapt into the air and dove down into the sea of bugs with the rest of her pack close behind her. As soon as her paws hit the ground she was tearing at the numerous bugs shooting through them and chomping down on any that were in her way. A sharp pain shot down her back and she yelped loudly.

"I've got you Mahi" Toboe spoke up yanking the bug that had just taken a bite out of her back and threw it away from her. Mahina stood up straight with panting hard. Blood ran down her face, arms and legs from the bites delivered from the bugs. Toboe looked just as bad as if not worse off as she did, she turned to the pup with a look of concern.

"Are you alright Toboe?" she question taking in the blood that coated the side of his face making it hard for him to see through the eye that was covered. Toboe offered Mahina a confident smile and nodded his head. "Be careful okay?"

"You too" the pup nodded turning away from Mahina and charging into bug snarling as loudly as a pup his age could snarl. Mahina was about to turn back the way she had gone before but then she heard something… a faint whisper of a sound hummed in her head. Mahina paused in her attack of the numerous bugs around her and closed her eyes.

…_.un…gry….Hun…gry…._

With her eyes still closed Mahina turned her head to look in the direction she was hearing the whispers from. It was the calling she had kept on hearing; something was reaching out to her but who and where were they?

_Hungry….we're….hungry_

"Hungry?" Mahina repeated

_We can help…please…we're so hungry…_

"Cheza!" Mahina was taken out of her trance when she heard Kiba yell out for the maiden. Cheza had jumped from the ledge Tsume had left her in and landed in a pile of the bug.

"Ch-Cheza!" Mahina shrieked feeling her heart plummet into the pit of her stomach at the sight of the maiden. She ran through the cave, bug latching onto her cloths as she went, "Cheza where are you going?" Mahina yelped turning fully to face the direction the maiden was going in getting ready to run after the maiden but she could still hear the whispers.

_Hungry…. We're hungry…._

They were coming in the direction that Cheza was running and before she could stop herself Mahina was charging through the bugs, the rest of her packs close behind her. Cheza kept running until she arrived at an opening Mahina hadn't noticed before. Yelping her name the she-wolf managed to grab onto Cheza's arm just before both of them dove into the open space and tumbled down it.

"Cheza!" Mahina could hear Kiba in the distance as their tumbling stopped. From where they lay Mahina pulled Cheza close and hugged her as tightly as she could. From among Kiba's yelling Mahina could heard the hissing of the bugs, no doubt a few of them followed them down here, and Mahina would not let them take another bite out of Cheza. The hissing drew close but eventually passed her and Cheza but then abruptly stopped with a loud _Crunch_! Mahina drew away from the maiden allowing her to pull her head away.

"Cheza" the maiden looked up at her with a calm look "are you okay?"

"This one is alright" Cheza replied weakly with an even weaker smile to go with it.

"Thank goodness" Mahina sighed sitting up and letting Cheza lean against her so they could both look at what had caused the crunching they had heard earlier. The pack gazed on in wonder as the bug crawled onto a red surface then suddenly the surface would snap shut around them with a loud crunch. "They're plants…" Mahina muttered quietly watching at they ate the bugs that came to them.

"This one heard them" Cheza explained "They said they were hungry"

Plants that ate insects. That was the calling that Mahina had felt and heard, so in a forest of death there was still life. That could only mean one thing…

"Hey guys!" Toboe stood in the opening of another tunnel "I see light down here!" he exclaimed pointing down the tunnel and looking back at them with a look of absolute joy. "I think it's the way out!" A way out was a heaven sent and none of the pack wasted time gathering themselves and making their way down the tunnel. Toboe was the first to make it out of the path telling with glee as he did "Look guys there's water! And there moon light too!"

"We… we did it" Mahina breathed out closing her eyes and letting the cool night air hit her face, she was already starting to feel better and she wasn't even directly under the moon light yet. She pushed off the tunnel opening she was using for support and moved out into the opening until she stood beside Kiba. As Cheza stepping into the lake and began to glow under the moonlight as she basked. Now that she was no longer withering Kiba's shoulder were less tense and looked visibly calmer than before. Azure met crimson under the light of the full moon.

Even though they were covered in blood and dirt, even though Mahina was sore in every inch of her body the she-wolf smiled brightly up at Kiba and he smirked in response.


	12. The Moon's call

**Thank you to juliedoo, Crystal-wolf-guardain-967, Shaylakai, Finalfan21, Musical Teardrops, animagirl, and direngreyrules100 for reviewing last chapter**

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><p><strong>Chapter XI:<strong> The moon's call

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><p>"<em>Can you feel it?" She asked gazing into deep Azure eyes. Kiba stared at her with wide, awe fully eyes that did nothing but make her chuckle at him. She reach out across the small distance between them and took both his hands in hers feeling a deep smile come to her face. The hairs on the back on her neck were standing on end, her skin was prickling, something was about to happen, something big. Though he didn't speak it was clear by his expression that Kiba indeed felt what she was feeling. "The energy in the air" she turned away from him to look around them. All over the hill top people stood among an endless sea of closed white flowers. They stood patiently around an empty space that she could see, when she looked up, rest directly under the full moon. She looked around the crowd once more and spotted Toboe, Hige and Tsume among them but didn't dwindle on this thought turning back to Kiba.<em>

"_The energy?" Kiba repeated her former sentence; she nodded her head before looking out at the opening of flowers again._

"_Once a year, on the night of the full moon, the flowers will hear the moon's call and return to paradise" She recited, though she herself had never heard these words prior to this moment when she spoke them it felt so very familiar, as if she had said the same sentence many times before. "It's been an old tradition of our little town to do this every year during the same full moon but I don't know…" she trailed off almost losing her thoughts to the glow of the moon "This time feels different than all the other times, I feel like this time-"_

"_It will work?" Kiba spoke earning her gaze again. She turned away from the moon and smiled brightly at the boy before her._

"_Yes" she nodded her head; Kiba returned her smile with the smallest upward curve of his lips. Finally she released his hands and adjusted the crown of white flowers on her head so they wouldn't fall "It's time" she informed him "Wish me luck"_

"_You don't need it" Kiba replied coolly earning another warm smile from her._

_She stepped back, the grass felt cool under her bare feet as she back into the open space. Onlookers stopped their conversations falling into silence as the soft thumping of drums began. Once in the center she turned her gaze to the sky above, no star in the sky mattered in comparison to the bright moon, full and glorious directly over her head. She reached for it with slender, pale hands and as the drums picked up in pace and beat she found herself spinning and spinning still reaching for the moon, beckoning it to her, tempting it to let her touch it's surface. The moon, however, is the master of push and pull, of giving energy and drawing life to it and as such it drew her to it. She opened her arms wide embracing the draw of the glowing orb and spun on and on the drum beat faster and faster, louder and louder, stirring up the energy around her and everyone else who watched until some simply couldn't contain themselves. Adults closed their eyes and tipped their heads to the sky in silent prayer, teenagers hooted and howled like a large pack of wolves and children, completely taken in an excitement they didn't understand, broken from their parents and guardians and took off in laps just outside the wide ring of space left for her and she spun trying to keep in time with her as they ran round and round._

_The excitement of those around her weaved in and out of her ears, spiraling into the air in a collective call out to the moon above. This energy definitely felt different from the years before it even though there wasn't much that had changed from before. The only real change this year was that he was here this time. Though she stayed focused on the moon above her she could feel his deep Azure eyes on her like they were looking into her soul as she spun. Was he supposed to be here? Was that what tonight needed to work? It felt like it judging by the chill that ran up her spin. White pedals spun round with her in a nonexistent wind and one by one the flowers at her feet, which she so carefully danced and spun among, began to open under the glowing moon revealing what they truly were: Lunar flowers. They were opening; she could feel it and she could hear it in the surprised gasps on the town's people watching. Yes, this year was certainly different; the flowers had never opened before. That was when she smelt it for the first time, a scent sweeter than any she had ever smelt before. It was subtler than any perfume known to mankind with a forever lasting impression on her nose. It whirled around her embracing her slender being and filling every pose on her body, was this the scent of Lunar flowers?_

_The energy they were building up was becoming too great to take, they had to send it away, it was time._

_Everyone seemed to know it and sense it because in an instant of remarkable union everyone, every man, woman and child stopped what they were doing and fixed their gaze upward to the sky. The drummers stopped drumming; the children stopped running and the howlers fell silent, their last cries echoing through the air before dying to nothing. Silence, even the nature around them seemed to understand that no sound should be made in this moment of stillness. In the quiet she closed her eyes to the moon and listened for the sign that this time things were done right._

_She listened hard for the call._

_It felt like ages that everyone stood there still as stone waiting for it but eventually it did come. It started out as one soft, tiny voice but then one voice became two and two became four, then four became eight and the voice just grew from there. She lowered her arms letting them drop limply on either side of her body as she took in the sweet song that seemed to sooth her soul. She opened her eyes back up slowly but when she took in her surroundings this time her eyes shot open wide. She no longer stood among the people of her town or Kiba. The moon had taken her away; she stood among the very stars in the sky just inches from the moon itself. She couldn't help herself; she reached out and touched it. Feeling it's surface against her fingertips sent a chill up her spine and sent her spiraling back to earth. In a great whoosh of wind she dropped back into her body and nearly stumbled back from the energy given to her by the moon. The voices were gone, silence had returned to her as she, finally, let her head drop and her gaze to fall to the blooming lunar flowers around her. She could feel something now. There was a pull coming to her suddenly like someone was beckoning her from far, far away. She turned her head in that direction only to find her gaze on the endless hills that lead away from town to a place unknown to her. It was a hazy image to her eyes but she could have sworn she could see lunar flowers blooming, forming a path across the hills far into the distance and lighting up the sky where they met the horizon as if the sun were peeking over the hilltops._

_Could that be it? Could that be the way to paradise?_

_The vision slowly faded to nothing until all she could see were the silhouettes of the hills and slowly the sounds of everyone around came back to her. It was over it seemed and everyone was slowly descending from whatever trance they had been in during the whole event. They were all so absorbed in their own worlds, too busy relishing in what that moment had caused them to experience that no one took notice to how still she had become. She made no motions to join anyone in their excited chatter, she was lost in her own head. It all felt so different to her now; her hearing was sharper, her nose more receptive to fainter smells. She felt like something had been awoken deep within her. She turned to gaze in Kiba direction, wondering if he felt the same change._

_Golden eyes stared back at her and standing in Kiba place was a wolf._

_A great, white wolf._

Mahina woke from her dream with a soft inhale and found herself lying on her side barely aware of her surroundings. Her fur was still prickling from her dream, it all felt so real it was strange. Was all of this because of tonight? The very thought of tonight was enough to wake the she-wolf fully from her half-awake daze and she felt a soft smile come to her face. A soft hand ran across her head, running its fingers through her long, ebony locks making her look up. Mahina was greeted by Cheza smiling down at her like any other day since the flower maiden had joined their pack.

"Can you feel it Mahina?" she asked in that soft voice of her before looking up at the sky "This one is excited for tonight…" Mahina couldn't help but agree with the flower maiden. Tonight was an important night for the pack.

"So am I Cheza" Mahina replied softly looking around at her still sleeping pack before turning her gaze to the sky the sky was only beginning to turner pale as signs of morning's inevitable arrival came. She was still a bit weak after all that had happen days ago in the forest of death but after tonight Mahina would regain all of her strength and the pack would be one step closer to paradise. For tonight was when the door might open for them and the path guided them there "Tonight is a full moon" Mahina breathed out with excitement.

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><p>To the human eye, a full moon last for days before waning and slowly beginning its decent into a new moon but in truth there is only one, true, full moon. There is only one night that the moon is 100% full and it was these nights that the wolf gains its full strength and the lunar flowers open…that is…if lunar flowers still bloomed across the earth. Under the light of a true, full moon the wounds of a wolf heal faster, almost magically and a pack can be given so much energy they go wild. In the days of old these were nights that packs went on wild hunts under the glow of the moon. Even humans can feel a slight breeze of energy on the night of, and day leading to, a true full moon. They buzz with the feeling just as much as a wolf would; feeling happier and festive. Lunacy is a word created to once explain the phenomenon that overcame people who felt the energy that sent a wolf's fur prickling and a howl itching up their throats.<p>

The next town the pack reach was obviously feeling it as much as the pack was.

People lounging about looked up and turned their attention to the group as they entered the town and walked down the main road. Though personally, Mahina could have done without this attention with today being what it was she could tolerate the men lounging in front of nearby buildings giving her and Cheza and once over with their eyes while a few others whistled. With a slight snort Mahina rolled her eyes and continued staring ahead of her keeping her hand firmly in Cheza and she did.

"Man" Hige commented from far behind the pack "What a seedy looking town"

"It's my kind of place" Tsume hummed in agreement. Mahina had quickly noticed that even Tsume was in a much happier mood today; the power of the full moon was truly a wondrous thing.

"I bet it is" chuckle Kiba

"Do you smell the danger in the air?" Tsume explained further "My bloods on fire" to this Mahina had to let out a slight chuckle as well. She glanced back and the older male who walk a short distance behind Kiba with his hands in his pockets and found it to be very true. Past his illusion his fury was bristling up along his back.

"I bet you would with all these obviously _dangerous_ humans surrounding us" the she-wolf commented with no intent to insult Tsume at all. The two met eyes and large smirks were exchanged before Mahina turned to face forwards once again.

"Me too!" Toboe jumped into the conversation flexing muscle he obviously didn't have "Mines is too!"

"Ha!" Within seconds Hige had the pup in a tight head lock "Big words coming from a runt who's scared all the time!" Toboe didn't respond to the playful jab at him instead settling for trying to break free from the headlock he found himself in but Hige would show him no mercy moving from a headlock to a very uncomfortable looking body bind "But that's not the only reason you're all fired up is it? After all tonight's a…"

"A full moon" Mahina spoke in a low voice meaning the word to only be heard by herself and Cheza. She swung Cheza's hands in hers and closed her eyes tilting her head up towards the sky. Mahina had to admit even she was starting feel the effects of tonight's impending full moon, she could sense the energy all around them just barely bubbling at the surface ready for the exact moment it could burst free. It made the she-wolf's heart race and pound so hard in her chest she could feel it in her ears. She thought back to her dream last night and those haunting words she recalled being said "Once a year, on a full moon, the flowers will hear the moon's call and return to paradise" she recited the words aloud and Cheza in response gripped her hand just a bit tighter. If there was any kind of truth to the statement in her dreams then that could only mean one thing for tonight.

If those words rung with truth then tonight might be the night….

Tonight Cheza just might bloom!

But then again Mahina might be getting ahead of herself and making assumptions that might not actually be true at all. Still she could still hope right? Even if there was a slight chance that nothing happen with night finally came the she-wolf couldn't help but feel a shudder of excitement quiver up and down her spin.

"I have to admit Cheza" Mahina spoke to the maiden beside her with a chuckle in her voice "I've haven't felt this excited since we were reunited" even now Mahina could still vividly remember laying her eyes on Cheza. That shiver that trembled up and down her spine as she watched the maiden floating in that tank in her half-awake state. She had felt in deep in her; a growing excitement that told her the goal was just in reach, that Mahina was just a step away from what she'd longed for for so long: paradise.

One thing did bother her though and it was the thought that she referred to that moment as one in which she was reunited with Cheza instead of stating it as the first time they had met. As far as Mahina's memories were concerned the she-wolf had never laid eyes on the maiden until that moment in the lab and yet her instincts told her it was not the first time. This connection Mahina had with Cheza... No one seemed to really understand it and for the most part neither could Mahina, and what she did understand she could never properly express so others might begin to get it.

Cheza's presence often washed over Mahina like a gentle breeze or a wave that rolled into shore and then back to sea. Then, other times, it was like Mahina was utterly submerged in her emotions and those of Cheza's to the point that the she-wolf didn't know who was originally feeling what. No matter where Mahina went she felt these things and sometimes she wished she could understand why she did. She was about as mysterious to herself as Kiba was to the pack; there were just so many questions left with no answers for Mahina.

Tsume learned that first hand on the day of the true full moon.

When the pack found a place to rest until night everyone went about their own task. Hige- being who he is- followed his ever so sharp nose and ventured back into town for food. Cheza had decided that she wanted find a perfect place for when the moon came out so she wondered off with Kiba close behind her. Mahina would have followed too but her wound still hadn't fully healed and after losing so much blood she had to stop and rest from time to time. Toboe stayed behind as well, the pup had more or less given himself the position of medic for the pack helping with all of the serious wounds everyone got while fighting off humans and other wolves. Surprisingly enough he was quite good at it, his work on Kiba after he had been beaten to the point of unconsciousness had the white male up and on his feet within half the day of receiving treatment. Mahina wasn't sure where the pup had learned these skills of his-perhaps that human that raised him was a medic- but she was grateful for them.

"There isn't any more bleeding coming from it" Toboe observed the bullet hole closely while Mahina lay still on the floor of the abandoned building they had taken up for shelter "but it hasn't started closing up at all...did you scratch at it after you were shot Mahi? It looks like someone was digging in it"

"That" remarked Mahina with a hint of bitterness to her tone "was Kiba"

"Kiba?" echoed a curious Toboe but Mahina shook her head

"I'd rather leave it at that Toboe" she said honestly, in retrospect asking Kiba to get the bullet out of her back might not have been the wisest idea. "Will it heal?"

"Yea but it's gonna leave a scar"

"I can live with a scar" Mahina sighed out slowly closing her eyes and letting the pup start his work, fatigue was coming to her like it usually did when she had to rest but she didn't really mind it. Those nightmares that once plagued Mahina's sleep haunted her no more, not since Cheza had joined them on their journey though now she was subjected to more riddles than before at least now the she-wolf didn't have to dread rest like she had before.

From a windowsill nearby Tsume sat in his usual position: his arms crossed like a grumpy old man while he watched the events before him curiously. Toboe had been right when he said that the wound would leave a scar but at least it would look cool. The hole was about the size of a silver dollar and long, deep, claw marks trailed away from it and down the female's back. Toboe was careful to line the plants he was using exactly where the marks went the pasty substance stuck to Mahina's skin easily and most likely wouldn't budge even if the female moved. After a couple of minutes of this Toboe excused himself to get more herbs for the wound and Tsume found himself left alone with Mahina much like he had with Kiba at the start of their journey.

The grey wolf didn't say anything at first, really he just had to take a moment to think about the irony of this situation. The last time he was left alone with one of the more secretive members of their group Tsume had learned of how Kiba's pack perished when he was young. Perhaps he'd learn some deep secret from Mahina's past this time -mind you this thought came to the grey wolf with utter sarcasm and self-humor- not that he actually cared to know anything about the she-wolf anyway. She was prideful and headstrong proving to Tsume just how young she was, she reminded him of those bratty little pup who go on a hunt for the first time. They were all loud and arrogant, bragging about how they would be the one to bring down the kill only to be left in the dust when push came to shove. Those brats were all bark and the only thing that made Mahina different from them was that she was female and unlike them she had a bit of a bite to back up her bark. By and by Tsume could tell that the silver-almost blue eyed- slender female known as Mahina was young and though she wasn't young like Toboe she was definitely too young to have left her pack to live on her own.

"You're staring" the female broke the silence and drew Tsume's focus back. It was true he was staring but he didn't care too much to argue against Mahina about it, she'd just try to get a rise out of him if he did. His eyes locked onto those crimson eyes of her but the grey wolf said nothing "does something interest you?"

"As if" snorted Tsume before he turned away from Mahina and settled for staring out the window "You really outdid yourself in stupidity scrawny"

"...what makes you say that?" Mahina questioned

"Standing in the way of a bullet like that" Tsume elaborated for the she-wolf "if it had been a few inches in either direction you could have died" he looked back at Mahina once again and observed the bullet wound. If it had gone just a few inches to the left that bullet could have punctured a lung and if it had gone right it could have been a through and through barreling through the females heart before rocketing out of her chest and most likely killing Cheza after. Yup, what Mahina had done was stupid and Tsume could never see himself doing that.

"It isn't just because it was Cheza if that's what you're thinking" Mahina remarked as if she were reading Tsume's mind "I've always been this way...or at least I think I have" she thinks she has? Does she not know how she been all her life?

"You think you have?" Tsume echoed humoring the conversation just out of pure curiosity. Mahina nodded, she shifted a bit until she was more comfortable and began drawing shapes in the ground before her face with her fingers.

"It's so vivid it can't just be a dream" she explained herself though she left more questions than answers "those four cubs...that human and his gun...the wild fire that blazed through the land..." wait fire? Tsume sat up a bit when Mahina said this. Kiba had sputtered nonsense about a fire when he was like this as well, could this be the same fire? Mahina didn't bother to wait for Tsume to reply anything before she went on "There was a way out...I had...WE had an escape route that wasn't cut off from the fire yet, but I couldn't get out...they were so young I couldn't leave them behind. I couldn't carry them on my own either but she..." a far off look came to Mahina's face as she recalled all these events

"She?" Tsume urged her on

"The human...she was keeping him away. I couldn't get them out without her help..." Mahina's brow furrowed and deep frown curved her face, she stopped her mindless drawing and clenched her hand into a tight fist as if she were reliving what she was describing "it was so hot... They were crying and the howling- that blasted howling" a shiver ran up Mahina's spine and she brought her clenched hand to her ear in a panicking motion "I couldn't get it out of my head. So many lives lost in a blaze of fire and ash."

"Where the hell is all of this coming from all of a sudden?" Tsume scowled, he couldn't help but note the similarities between Kiba and Mahina's stories and the obvious question was coming to him: had Kiba and Mahina been a part of the same pack? But if that was the case wouldn't they know each other? So far as Tsume had observed Mahina knew about as much about Kiba as the rest of them did and Kiba couldn't explained the existence that was Mahina so what was going on here?

"When I woke up" Mahina's voice drew Tsume back to her, she slowly sat up holding the fabric of her white blouse against her chest as she did. "There was no fire-no painful howls to hear for miles...I couldn't remember who I was...all I knew was Cheza. All I could feel was this desire to find her...her and paradise..." so in shot she was exactly like Kiba in more ways than one it was close to startling if Tsume was going to be honest and he found himself staring bewildered at the she-wolf though she now had her back facing him completely "I don't really know what it's like to be a part of a pack either to tell you the truth" Mahina chuckled "so I'm not certain that taking a deadly bullet for someone is the normal thing to do in packs...I kind of just followed my gut like I always do..."

"Your gut or Kiba instincts" Tsume scuffed re-crossing his arms and turning to look out the window again "one way or another I have a feeling one of them is going to get us all kill" he meant as a bit of a joke and the chuckle both he and Mahina shared briefly was enough to prove that both understood that but then a silence came to the room. For a second Tsume thought this meant that the conversation was over and Mahina was most likely on her way to falling asleep so he shuffled in his seat in an effort to get comfortable because until the others got back he'd be guarding this resting female and the runt. What a pain.

"Would you leave?" suddenly Mahina was standing behind him making Tsume nearly jump out of his skin. Her approach was soundless and she loomed over the seated male. It was a little unsettling to have to stare directly into those intense eyes of hers it was a wonder how Kiba could do it with ease "even knowing that" she clenched her blouse against herself tightly "Even knowing death awaits us would you stay Tsume?" how was he supposed the answer to that? Mahina was staring at him with eyes wide and innocent almost exactly like Cheza. Tsume could see the flower maiden in Mahina as much as he could see Kiba. It was odd how this female could so easily shift between the two and yet still have a personality all her own.

"I don't have much of a choice at this point" Tsume shrugged trying not to appear as startled as he actually was "I did decide that I was a wolf after all, remember?"

"Mm" hummed the She-wolf in agreement. She took a step back and finally-after staring at Tsume for a minute more- turned around and moved back across the room to where she had been laying before. In her wake Mahina left Tsume sitting in the window with slightly wide and confused eyes until he sighed and turned his gaze back out the window.

He had to remember to ask Toboe what the hell kind of herbs he was giving those two someday...

The pair of wolves said no more to each other after that; they stayed in the respective area until Toboe returned and continued his treatment of Mahina's back to his satisfaction. When he was done Mahina pulled her blouse back up and laid down resting her head on the pups lap and allowing him to run his hand over her head much like Cheza had a habit of doing. Soon Hige returned with Kiba and Cheza right behind him but not with as much success he had hope to have. The town was bare, he had reported, and the only food he was able to scrounge up for the pack was a couple of small loafs of bread and a chain of sausages that an old woman had dropped from her bag when she had gone shopping. It wasn't much when passed on to everyone but it would have to do for the time being. Tsume watched from his perched as Kiba slid down the wall behind him until he sat on the group next to Mahina; the two sat close enough to one another to just barely be brushing shoulders and their eyes were focused on Cheza.

It was like watch one wolf who had been split into two and it was slightly unnerving to see. Tsume zeroed in on them as Kiba muttered something to Mahina and the she-wolf leaned into to him and spoke quietly back, what were they talking about that they had to be so quiet? Would the pair forever be a mystery never to be solved? Tsume took in a deep breath and sighed turning his eyes back out the window and taking a bite out of the bread in his hand; given the information both Mahina and Kiba had told him in their wounded states the grey wolf had to assume that they had some kind of connection so he wondered: did Kiba know of the fire that took Mahina's pack in a cage of death? Was Mahina aware of the flames that cut off the escape routes of Kiba's friend?

Had Mahina and Kiba been in the same pack as pups?

"You should eat"

Mahina opened her eyes if only just a bit when she was spoken to; at first she didn't feel like acknowledging the comment but she did eventually turn her head ever so slightly and glance beside her at the white male who sat beside her. Kiba met her gaze but then quickly looked to the sausage she held in her hands.

"You need to get your strength back" he explained; ever since the pack had escaped the forest of death Kiba's had become just a bit less tense around everyone and that was obviously because Cheza was no longer in danger but now that she wasn't his focused seemed to be on getting Mahina back on her feet. Two nights of basking under the moon and good nights of sweet sleep made it so she didn't have to be carried anymore and the pack didn't have to take breaks so she could catch her breath but the bullet wound that had gone so long untreated had slowed Mahina down, she was quieter than usual and she often spent her time sleeping whenever the pack took rest.

"….I'll be okay" Mahina responded softly shifting in her seat a bit before turning her head to look back at Toboe and Hige who sat and chatted happily with Cheza. Honestly her confessions to Tsume had made her lose her appetite; the memories of wolves howling in pain and the smell of burning flesh, the sense of fear, confusion and hopelessness left a bitter taste in Mahina mouth so much so that she didn't even want to look at the meat she held. "I just want it to be nightfall already" Mahina tried to cover up her reason for not eating by pretending to be excited for the event that would come when the true full moon was high over their heads. Kiba made a slight hum of acknowledgement to this statement. The two quickly fell into that comfortable silence once again and Mahina was left to her thoughts. She thought of her most recent dreams and wondered the reason behind them; why was Kiba so familiar yet so unfamiliar in them? Why was he even in them to begin with?

It was all so strange; how can someone see an event that's never happen before yet feel so familiar with it? Maybe it was just the energy of the full moon tonight that was effecting Mahina, maybe Kiba could feel it too.

"Can you feel it?" Mahina asked softly breaking the silence between them and turning her gaze to Kiba. The white wolf didn't respond at first, when crimson met azure Mahina didn't see that look of awe and wonder in his eyes like she had in her dream. Instead Kiba looked calm, wise almost all knowing and the fact that he did had a profound effect on her for she too felt calmer staring into his eyes. "The energy in the air"

"The energy..." Kiba echoed her words; Mahina nodded her head. Kiba stared down at her a moment more before closing his eye and leaning his head back against the wall behind them "Once a year, on the night of the full moon, the flowers will hear the moon's call and return to paradise" Mahina blinked back her confusion and sat up a bit straighter when the white wolf recited this.

"What?..." she questioned

"It's something I heard a long time ago, when I was still a pup" Kiba explained and Mahina hummed in response. Perhaps it wasn't so strange that she knew those words too; maybe all pups were taught the legend of the lunar flower and paradise when they were young and that was why such unfamiliar words felt somewhat familiar but then again none of the others seemed familiar with the words that Kiba had said. All any of them actually seemed to know was there was a legend of paradise, they didn't know of Cheza or her blooming so then how did Kiba know? How did Mahina know? Feeling nothing short of more confusion Mahina let out a long sigh and let her head rest on Kiba's shoulder "tired?" the male questioned and Mahina nodded "Take it easy" Kiba told her "When Cheza blooms tonight we'll have a journey ahead of us" of course he was right so Mahina didn't bother to argue with him letting out another sigh before closing her eyes.

She rested but she didn't sleep; uncertain as to what riddles sleep may offer her Mahina decided it was best not to bother herself with more questions on such an important day.

* * *

><p>When the sun finally set and the moon broke the eastern horizon the earth seemed to almost vibrate in anticipation. The moon shined down on the ruins Cheza had picked out for this event making the crumbling rubble glow. Everyone was beaming with excitement, Mahina could hear the humans all the way in town being loud and festive but they were no real concern of hers. Earlier in the evening Kiba had helped Mahina make her way to the ruins and set her down in a comfortable place where she could rest but now, as the moon kissed her fur she could feel her energy coming back to her like never before. This power, this lunar healing, was only a fraction of the potential the true full moon had. If they did this right it would make Cheza bloom, if they did this right it would forge the path to paradise. Mahina sighed with content closing her eyes and basking in the glorious moonlight as she stood up.<p>

"This feeling..." she hummed lightly opening her eyes and staring up at the moon before joining the others in watching Cheza as she slipped off her boots and stepped into a long since ruined fountain filled slightly with rain water.

"So...this is it" it was Tsume who spoke first, he could feel it just as much as Mahina could for even from this distance the she-wolf could see him trembling.

"Yea" Hige stepped forward with a grin wider than any of them had ever seen in his face before "Right about now I feel like I can do just about anything!"

"We've all seem a full moon before, but this time it seemed different now that we have Cheza with us" Toboe's excitement was the most obvious; it was like watching meeting Cheza for the time again. Toboe was clenched his chest and his hair seemed to bristle; most of all the face of his human illusion was flashing red.

"That the power of the true full moon" Mahina explained taking off her own shoes, moving forward and stepping into the pool along with Cheza. The flower maiden looked Mahina's way and smiled mysteriously. There really was no telling what would happen tonight, for all the pack knew this could be nothing; they could stand here and wait all night and nothing would happen but Mahina felt like this was truly it. Maybe it was because of the dream she had before, maybe it was that smile Cheza had offered her, maybe this confidence she felt was really Cheza's confidence. Either way there was no time to dwell on whether or not something would happen tonight or not because suddenly everything fell into silence; the festive human in town grew quiet, the animals and insects made no noises, even the air around them grew still as if time itself had caused everything to pause for them. Mahina looked to Kiba who stood on the other side of the pool and when Crimson met Azure they both seemed to understand.

"Something's about to happen" Kiba declared softly, quietly as if he didn't want disturb the peace that had fallen around them.

Something did happen. Suddenly Cheza, with her head tipped to the sky and her arms out wide, began to dance. The water at her feet rippled as the flower maiden spun round and round staring at the moon as if she were calling it to herself. Around Cheza, Mahina and the others stood at the edges of the pool watching with wide eyes of wonder and interest. Sometime someone would twitch slightly with excitement, another time someone would tremble until finally it would Kiba who could no longer contain himself. The energy Cheza was building was much too great for any wolf to sit in calmly for long and before any of them knew Kiba had took off in a run circling just outside the pool and keeping pace with Cheza's spinning. Soon Mahina couldn't contain herself and she joined him and then Hige joined and then Toboe and finally Tsume joined so that their whole pack ran in circles around the spinning maiden. That was how it went; around and around, lap after lap as Cheza spun, it was a dance that only they could understand and only they could do. Mahina was spinning with excitement, her heart was beating rapidly in her chest and her legs trembled with each steps she took; her fur stood on end as Kiba skidded to a stop before her threw his head skyward and let loose a howl like she-wolf had never heard before. Mahina and the others stopped too gazing at the white wolf in slight curiosity but Mahina knew. This was the effect of a true full moon; animal go wild under its amazing glow wolves lost themselves to its power long ago when they walked the earth freely.

It was because nature itself was singing from ever rock that made the ground to ever cloud that claimed the sky; this is a world that is dying and it was now, under the all-seeing glow of the moon, that it's beautiful song could be heard twisting into Mahina's senses, tickling her ears, running its ghostly fingers through her fur. The world was calling to the moon and it was doing so in the only way it knew how: the wolf. Mahina could feel in her body this invisible hand that gently urged her nose upward; the energy given to her was so great she had to release it and she did taking in as much breath as she could Mahina turned her head upward and she howled her voice carrying out into the start night sky curling with Kiba's and echoing out. Cheza slowly stopped spinning as Hige, Toboe and Tsume began howling as well but she never once turned her focus to anything but the sky. She closed her eyes and basked in the moonlight as the orb slowly made its way higher and higher into the night. It felt like hours they stayed there like that just staring at the moon, the dancing and running had stopped and the howls were nothing more than memories in the night air. Now there was stillness, now there was silence and now the moment of truth was upon them. Would this be the night that the flower maiden bloomed? Would this be the night Mahina finds paradise? Only the moon knew and Mahina found herself praying to it was she stared at it where it hung just above their heads. Please, she pleaded in her head, please let her bloom...I've been searching for so long. It felt like an eternity before the great moon finally answered her pleas and oh how it did. Suddenly the area became brighter and a smell all too familiar graced Mahina's nose. She flinched when the ground under her bare feet suddenly felt softer and something lightly brushed against her toes. She didn't want to believe it not even when she heard Kiba take in a sharp breath beside her.

"It's..." Hige gaped "it's a path to paradise!"

"Is that really what it is?" Tsume commented in disbelief

"It's amazing...it's truly amazing..." Toboe remarked in awe and finally, slowly as if this were a dream she never wished to wake from Mahina lowered her head and looked at the ground. Her gaze was nearly blinded by the glow of dozens upon dozens of white flowers around her, one after the other opened beautifully around her feet. Their scent, their beauty, the faint song that whispered itself into Mahina ears. These were...

"Lunar flowers" Mahina breathed out in soft awe at what she was seeing, truly seeing; these were lunar flowers! As she gazed at these wondrous flowers Mahina could feel something. There was a pull coming to her suddenly like someone was beckoning her from far, far away. She turned her head in that direction only to find her gaze on what the others had been marveling at for the past few minutes. There were endless hills that lead away from their pack to a place unknown to Mahina. It was a clear path across the hills far into the distance and lighting up the sky where they met the horizon as if the sun were peeking over the hilltops; this was it. This was the road to paradise! Now made elated by this realization Mahina was the first to spring forward lunging across the blooming flowers around her in a hard and fast run across the land in the direction the flowers lead to only a fool would have to question if the others were far behind.

Together they ran through the flowers on the path under the full moon for miles it felt like and though the glowing horizon, their promise land, never grew closer none of them lost moral for the moon was on their side it had shown them the way and no one could stop them.

Until the air was pierced by a deafening sound. A screech that made the pack stop and a sound that they dreaded hearing again.

It was the high-pitched screech of a noble's ship.

Mahina skidded to a halt faster than the others could and as they looked up into the sky and spotted the ominous ship drifting towards them she positioned herself so that she stood beside Cheza. The image given to them by the moon was shattered upon the noble's arrival and now the pack stood in an empty wasteland waiting for the threat. The ship that landed was small and though Mahina knew nothing of humans and their flying machines she'd seen enough of them to know that the noble who stood in their way stood alone. Their ship was too small in comparison to the usual large size of any noble ship she'd ever seen. The hatch opened up unfolding to create a ramp and as the human stepped forward Kiba tended and do did Mahina wrapping a protective arm around Cheza as a growl began to form in her throat. He didn't wear a mask like when they first met but the eye that was covered and that familiar stench was all the she-wolf needed to know who this was.

"You..." Mahina spoke lowly to herself "you're that noble from freeze city...the one who took Cheza" Cheza flinched slightly at the mention of the incident and Mahina pulled her closer all the while glaring hateful dagger at the human. She would rather die than let that noble lay his filthy hands on the flower maiden again.

"...The wolves" he spoke seeming to recognize them; despite his pleasant tone Mahina could barely repress a snarl "It's been a long time" he spoke as if they were all old friends but the air was tense.

"What are you doing here?" Mahina snarled out but the noble didn't answer. Instead he made his slow descent from his ship until his feet touch the earth.

"Was it a nice dream?" his one visible blue eye looked from one wolf to the next sparring no one more time than the other gauging their reactions "the one where you were going to paradise?"

"What?!"

"The time has not yet come for that" the noble went on to say ominously but all Mahina wanted to do was laugh. What did he know about anything? Paradise is a place for the wolf; only the wolf can find it and only the wolf decides when the time has come.

"You know nothing Noble!" Mahina yelled back at him baring her teeth at him "paradise is ours! It's no place you for!"

"But it is" the noble calmly insisted slowing to a stop as his eye found Mahina again "return to me, Cheza"

"No!" Mahina barked defiantly; Cheza took in a sharp breath turning her head to hide her face in the she-wolf's neck. Mahina pulled her closer circling both arms around the flower maiden; he would have to pull Cheza from her arms if she wanted to get her. "She doesn't belong with humans!"

"She belongs to me" remarked the noble with a mysteriously knowing look "and so do-"

"Get out of our way!" Kiba was done with the talking and the pleasantries. He didn't see this as convincing a human to leave Cheza with them where she belonged but instead he saw an obstacle, another test for him on the road to paradise. The others watched withheld breaths as the white wolf charged the noble leaping into the air to exact his fury on the human that dared try and get in their way. For a second it looked like this event would be a little hiccup on the journey, Kiba would kill the noble and the pack would be on its way but as the white wolf soared through the air sailing closer to his unmoving victim he hit something, and invisible wall, that he quickly bounced off of landing a couple of feet away. Behind him every made noises of surprise and confusion.

"It is futile"

The once none threatening human sudden became a threat when the was a flash from his ship and an eerie screech; suddenly a red beam shot out from it aiming for Kiba. The white wolf, teeth baring and feral, easily leaped out of the way just as the beam hit the ground where he once stood. The earth shook and crumbled under the power of the attack letting off a strong blast and a blinding red and white light that was too bright to look at. Mahina release Cheza to shield her eyes from it and just as it started to dim the eerie sound rang out again but the light was too bright for Mahina to see where it aimed. There was a loud, painful yelp quickly after making Mahina force her eye to gaze at the blinding light, what she saw made her blood stop cold.

"Toboe!" Hige yelled out

"_**Toboe**_!"Mahina screamed out feeling true terror for the first time since this journey began at the sight of Toboe, the pack's energetic runt of a pup, airborne spinning through the air like a rag doll. Hige took off after the pup that was thrown a good distance away meeting him just as his body met the ground and made a loud thump. The Erie screech shattered the air again and Mahina saw it shoot out touching the small space between Toboe and Hige before everything exploded into that blinding light blasting rocks and sand everywhere. Mahina shielded her eyes turning away from the light but she didn't need her eyes to know how bad this was; her sharp ears could pick it up and her nose could smell it. The air now stank of dense copper and the splat of blood painting the earth rang in the she-wolfs ears. Cheza lost it when the blood was spilt; Mahina watched as her eyes grew wider than she'd ever seen them, she tipped her head back and as big rivers of tears spilled from her eye Cheza opened her mouth and shrieked into the night sky piercing the air with that painful, sorrow filled cry of hers. Mahina not only being so close but even touching Cheza was blind sighted by the maiden's reaction. Her chest tightened gripping her being with such terror the only movement she could manage was to bring her hands to her ears and cover them. _Toboe is bleeding!_, the thought came to the she-wolf's head as her heart clenched with unbearable pain in her chest, _Hige is bleeding! The wolves are hurt! This one's friends are hurting!_ Cheza horror and fear left Mahina paralyzed.

"Ah, the blood of the wolf" among the chaos the noble seemed to be having a good time causing such destruction, causing Cheza so much pain "how magnificent" Seeing that almost half the pack was down for the count Tsume joined the fray running alongside Kiba and charging for the noble as fast as they could go. Cheza had managed to settle enough for Mahina to release her ears and gaze on with a sense of helplessness.

Why wasn't she helping? She was strong too! But she couldn't move, she couldn't think!

The air rung with the eerie sound again and another beam shot out between the two males. Kiba darted one way to avoid the blast and Tsume ran the other but as if the attack wasn't strong enough as it is it suddenly split into two going in the two directions its target went to. Tsume was struck with little effort and more blood splattered across the earth. Cheza took in a painful gasp and though she did not scream again it felt like she had to Mahina who closed her eyes to the destruction and shook her head in sorrow. _Please! Please making it stop! You're hurting them! You're hurting them!_

Another eerie screech came and Mahina expected someone to get hurt again but as she opened her to take in the damage of another blow her crimson eyes found this beam of destruction coming straight for her and Cheza. Was the noble crazy?! That kind of blast could destroy Cheza! Suddenly hit with the ability to once again move Mahina reached out and closed a tight fist around the cloak the flower maiden wore.

_'Cheza!'_ she heard Kiba yell out just before she yanked the maiden towards her circling her arms around the lovely creature and preparing to once again standing in the line of fire to protect her.

It all happen so fast; Mahina had braced herself and then it hit her. It was hard to tell where exactly the beam hit Mahina but at that point it didn't matter for the second it did her back was on fire. Her nostrils stung with the stench of burning flesh and fur. Then, if only for a second, her feet left the ground and she and Cheza were spinning rapidly than they were falling and just as fast as she was sent into the air the she-wolf hit the ground with enough force to knock the wind out of her and keep her from breathing for a moment.

"Mahina..." Cheza's soft voice quivered as she, mostly alarm but unharmed, pushed herself up and looked over the she-wolf in horror. Mahina could make no response; the world was spinning and there black spots keeping her from perfect vision. As she lay there left utterly unmovable by the attack the noble chuckled on.

"As I expected" he remarked having observed the female's blatant disregard for herself in exchange for the flower's safety "you will do just about anything to protect her, it's in your DNA isn't it?" her DNA? What... Mahina was too far gone to even think about what the noble meant; she stared up at Cheza who looked so very pained before gazing out at the ruin of their once hopeful pack.

_Please. Please don't hurt them anymore. Please make it stop._

Kiba was the last one standing now but as Mahina watched from her barely conscious place she knew it would not last. With each blast Kiba was throw around with little effort spreading that amazing scented blood of his everywhere; his snow white fur was stained red again just like when Mahina first met him and every time he got back up his legs shook worse than the last time. But Kiba, for however long Mahina has known him now, has never known when to quit and the female would go so far as to say he never knew such a word existed in any form of tongue. No matter how many times the beams hit him or how many times he was thrown to the ground Kiba got back up and tried for another attack. Again and again and again and again, over and over at this rate there was only one ending in sight.

_He's gonna kill him_, the though drifted weakly through Mahina's mind and made her try to will her body to move, _if he keeps this up...he going to die!_

"..." as if hearing her thoughts like Mahina heard hers Cheza grew quiet slowly pushing herself to her feet "That is enough" her voice carried with enough volume to stop the attack as Kiba was struggling to his feet once again. Mahina whimpered in protest as the flower maiden brazen past her as towards the ever stubborn Kiba.

_'No'_ he struggled to plead with Cheza _'Dont go Cheza...'_

"It is alright" the maiden reassured him

_'Dont go' _Kiba pleaded on _'We're wolves, we're not afraid to die'_

"This one knows that" Cheza responded with that same softness "but this one has decided...Kiba...this one will surely protect you" her words were the last thing Kiba heard that night, Mahina watched helplessly as the great white wolf uttered Cheza name one last time before finally collapsing. The noble allowed Cheza to bid her goodbyes to the pack watching silently as she made her way to each unconscious wolf and running her fingers through their fur never once seeming bothered by the blood. Mahina was the last one that Cheza came too sinking to her knees and offering the wounded female a peaceful look but her emotions betrayed her flowing through her arm and cloaking Mahina in the sorrow the flower maiden truly felt. "Mahina..." she spoke as the female finally felt her consciousness slipping "not it is this one's turn to protect you while you sleep" and with that darkness took hold of Mahina.

She knew just like Kiba probably did when he collapsed: when they woke up again Cheza would be gone.


	13. Moving forward

**Thank you to Crystal-wolf-guardian-967, Oceanarose, Direngreyrules100, theNekoPrincessofDarkness, Ocean of My Existence, and Blue Willow for the review last chapter.**

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><p><em>To answer your questions, Ocean of My Existence, my writing is a result of a combination of all the things you thought they were. I've taken a few classes and before I got promoted at my job I did have a lot of time in between work and school. I also read a lot of books which helps me compare my style to the professionals and change my perspective on how to write certain things. For me, writing is all about putting your emotions in the moment, if you can't feel it when you're writing it how do you expect your readers to right? Really I could go on and on to answer your question but the simplest, yet vaguest, answer I can give you is to realize that most good writers drown in their work. You have to pour yourself into your work until you practically are your work more than your work is something you created. … I'm not sure that helped at all…um… if anyone has any other questions please don't be afraid to message me… I guess… I'm getting slightly embarrassed with myself now so I'm gonna just go ahead and stop now… onward to the story I guess<em>

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><p><strong>Chapter XII:<strong> Moving forward

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><p>Mahina's sleep was dreamless that night the noble left her and her pack bloody and wounded in that wasteland.<p>

For the first time since this journey began Mahina was left floating in a void of absolutely nothing neither plagued by flames and mournful howls nor haunted by visions of events that never were and it was peaceful. The first night Mahina had ever spent not at Cheza's side was a peaceful one so much so that when she woke the she-wolf was almost certain her travels so far were all just a dream.

Perhaps Mahina had never been to the place called Freeze City and laid her eyes on Cheza nor had she seen the flower maiden be taken by a noble, she never met a chubby wolf name Hige and she never met a runt name Toboe, she never fought with a grouch name Tsume or ran for three straight days following a thin scent of lunar flower. Maybe she never witness an elder wolf work himself to the grave while his leader did nothing, she was never caught in a trap by humans.

It was all a dream, none of it was real.

She never saw Cheza fly.

She never heard Cheza's voice.

She never heard Cheza sing.

She never held Cheza's hand.

Cheza never bloomed

Mahina had never gotten so close to reaching paradise she could almost taste it.

A noble never took Cheza away.

It was all a dream, none of it was real.

There was never a last Hanabito.

There was no such person as Cher.

Never had there been a wolf hunter with a big black dog.

The forest of death did not exist.

The true full moon never happen

It was all a dream, none if was real.

There was no white wolf by the name Kiba.

Kiba.

The thought of that name brought Mahina's senses back to her and she became aware of her surroundings. Her wounds had closed but they hadn't healed even after laying under the full moon for however long she had Mahina felt the pain in her back and it brought her back to reality. That's right, it wasn't all just a dream, the places she'd gone and the people she'd met, the things she'd seen had all been real which meant Cheza really was gone. A noble really took the flower maiden away. Right now all Mahina could do was accept this as truth; she was in too much pain to think of it as anything else. The she-wolf's body was broken, her muscles ached with every movement she made and she had yet to find the will to open her eyes but then she heard something shift nearby. Someone else was awake, someone had survived the nobles attack. The ground shifted as they struggled to their feet and stumbled across the landscape before a shadow loomed over Mahina.

"...Mahina" this voice, the female's ears twitched at the sound of it and with some effort she opened her eyes and found herself the subject of concerned Azure eyes. When the she-wolf stared back at Kiba his features relaxed if only a bit and his hand found Mahina's slightly singed fur.

_'Kiba...'_

"You're alive" he observed sounding relieved by this fact. Mahina made no response to his words, she only whimpered slightly when Kiba ran his hand over her head "When I saw you get hit I wasn't sure what to do"

_'I...I protected Cheza'_ Mahina struggled to show her pride in her selfless act but she could tell by the shine in Kiba's tired eyes that he could tell.

"I know" he said with a slight nod, his voice was getting weaker and Mahina didn't blame him for out of all of them he had been beaten the worst. He sat there for a while in silence eventually moving the she-wolf's head onto his lap and just running his hand over her fur and Mahina didn't mind it. She closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh.

_'that feels really nice'_ she admitted calmly, it was like Cheza had never left them, like that whole attack had just been a horrible nightmare. Kiba hummed in response continuing to pet her calmly. As far as Mahina could tell everyone had survived the vicious beating; Cheza gave herself up before the noble could kill any of them leaving them battered enough to barely be able to pick themselves up immediately. If it weren't for Cheza that noble would have killed them all.

"Can you move?" Kiba asked

_'I think so'_ Mahina replied after giving it some thought. She tried moving and though she succeeded her body ached everywhere. Kiba's finger weaved through Mahina's long hair before his palm was pressed against her cheek in a manner she could only assume was comfort. She allowed herself to relish in it for a moment nuzzling her face against it before reaching up to Kiba's face and touching the long gash left there by the noble. "Does it hurt?" Mahina couldn't help but ask; Kiba shook his head taking her hand in his free one and holding onto it tightly pressing it against his own face. "I'm glad you didn't die" she confessed "I thought that noble would..."

"I don't plan on dying so easily" Kiba remarked with a slight smirk as if what had happen had been nothing "not until I've reached paradise, not until I see it with my own eyes"

"He took her Kiba" the mention of paradise brought the reality to Mahina, Cheza was gone once again "Cheza, she's gone"

"I know" Kiba nodded his head his eyes never once looking away from Mahina's crimson orbs. He didn't look at all bothered by the fact that Cheza was gone, his face was calm serene almost and gazing at it brought an odd calmness to Mahina too.

"What are we going to do now Kiba?"

"We keep moving" Kiba replied he broke the eye contact finally tipping his head upward towards the sky and closing his eyes as if basking in the moonlight.

"But how..." Mahina had to admit she had her doubts about moving forward. This noble meant business and if he was this feral at the thought of taking Cheza back from them who knows how he may act to keep her.

"I promised you didn't I?" Kiba spoke up, his eyes stayed closed and his head tipped back to take in all the moons light "We're not going to end like this, I promised we'd make it to paradise"

"Make it to paradise..." Mahina echoed watching Kiba for a beat before her eyes found the sky once again. The moon was true and full as it had been when Cheza had bloomed earlier but there was something different about the moon.

The world truly was ending, from here on out Mahina had a feeling that only a road of death awaited them if they continued on like this. The world was giving them the signs of the end, setting the clock for every being to see.

When Cheza had bloomed the moon has been pure white full of hope and promise. Now, as Mahina lay barely able to move in the blood soaked battle field the moon over her head was a deep red.

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><p>The pack spent the rest of the night there where the noble left them recovering from the wounds inflicted upon them. The moon didn't have it usual healing powers over though; this strange, new, red moon spared them enough to get back on their feet and into the next town when they woke up. Farther south from where they last saw Cheza was yet another little town and it didn't take Kiba long to lead them to an abandoned little cove where they could rest and properly gain back their strength. It was here in their little hideaway that Mahina laid on her side her back turned to the pack thinking about the situation at hand. This next town they found was just as barren and hopeless as many of the other ones they'd been to and for once Mahina could feel herself relating to the humans she watched as she limped along side Toboe. None of these humans seemed to have anymore fight left in them; even as unaware as they were there must be something in them that made it clear they couldn't escape their fates, now all they were doing was looking for a place to die.<p>

Was that what they were doing Mahina wondered.

They ran around like fools spouting this nonsense about a paradise for wolves and Cheza being the key and how they would be the ones to find it. Them, a pack of misfit wolves who can barely stand one another. Of the millions of packs that once existed, the two hundred years these packs wasted away trying to find it somehow thinking that they were going to reach it. From her place Mahina scuffed quietly to herself.

"Perhaps it's all just a dream" she muttered softly so no one heard her. Maybe the noble was right: this pleasant vision of the future where they all went to paradise and lived happily ever after was just a cute little dream. Perhaps in reality they were simply searching for a place to died, in truth they were almost like that old man: they knew death was coming they just hadn't found a proper place to start digging. "..." a deep frown came to Mahina face at this thought "this is depressing" she grumbled.

"You up and moving already?" Hige's voice broke the peace around them, Mahina glanced over her shoulder and spotted Kiba who struggled to sit up. The white male didn't reply to Hige, the area fell back into silence "come on guys I know we've been through a lot but why the long faces?" the chubby wolf remarked looking around at the others before looking behind him at Mahina who stared back for a moment before turning back around and letting her head drop back onto the ground.

"Because I couldn't sleep last night" Toboe finally spoke up

"Yea well neither could I" Hige snapped back

"You slept like a dead man" Tsume spoke up with a slight snort of a laugh "Like always"

"Look, I'm just as shocked and frustrated as the rest of you" Hige remarked looking from Toboe to Kiba to Tsume and then back at Mahina again but she made no moves to respond; she was still too weak to move around much on her own and even of she could she didn't want to. When Mahina showed no sign of movement Hige turned back around to the rest of the pack "none of that's gonna help us figure out what the hell to do next. Are we just going to stay here in a stupor forever?! Some body say something dammit!" Hige sounded frustrated now and who could blame him "Kiba" the chubby wolf turned to the only other person who had yet to speak other than Mahina. The white wolf made no sign of acknowledgement to Hige's words "you haven't said a single word to any of us since everything happen"

"drop it" Tsume snapped at Hige in annoyance and Toboe wasn't far behind.

"leave him alone" the pup remarked "Kiba was hurt worst out of any of us" that was the truth and Mahina had the memory of it burned into her mind for the rest of her days. The sight of Kiba trying his best to fend off that noble and keep Cheza safe only to be beaten and blasted through the air effortlessly while that horrible noble laughed at the sight of his pain. Even so Kiba got back up, he just kept getting back up no matter how many times he was knocked down; until the ground was soaked red with his blood, until he could barely stand, until all he could do was snarl and glaring burning eyes of hate at the noble, until Cheza could take no more. All of it, it was all as bad as the she-wolf's nightmares and she found herself covering her ears where she lay just trying to block out the horrid sound of it.

"It's not that" Kiba spoke up earning looks from the other males around him. His voice broke through the chaos in Mahina's head and washed over her like a wave. Kiba was beaten but he didn't die, he promise he wouldn't let it end like that, he promised Mahina they'd reach paradise alive and it was this that made the female lower her hands and carefully push herself off the ground "It's just...I'm really pissed off" Kiba explained his silence but then became quiet once again Mahina turned around and stared at the backs of her pack mates.

All of them were beaten and bruised up, it took poor Toboe a full day to recover from his injuries and at that he still had nightmares of the experience. Tsume was quiet and brooding more than usual; there wasn't much for him to complain about at this point mainly because the object of most his complaints was gone but Mahina assumed that his opinion of Cheza had changed greatly for she couldn't recall him complaining about her since the forest of death. Hige had tried lightening the mood the best he could the past couple of days but would often fall silent as no one made any sound to encourage him. Then there was Kiba. Kiba was stubborn as ever refusing anyone's help though he clearly had trouble walking; when they found this cove to rest in Kiba laid down and hadn't moved until just now, that was a couple of days ago and Mahina had guessed that he would be like that for a couple of more days but again Kiba is stubborn. He'd want to be on the move again soon enough no doubt, off to get Cheza back of course because if it were Mahina she'd probably do the same thing.

Probably, but maybe not anymore.

As the she-wolf took in the damaged, defeated forms of her company she couldn't help but wonder the point of it all. Ever since their journey began to shape it had been nothing but violence and fighting even their departure from Freeze city had been a violent one and from there on the fighting simply grew. Mahina wondered: could a path such as theirs-this journey of seemingly endless bloodshed and fighting- truly lead to paradise? Was that the key? Were wolves really the feral beast humans always feared they were? Was that Mahina's nature? But how when the sight of so much death cause Cheza so much pain? Mahina was connected to the maiden she knew that much at this point so then how could such a beautiful peaceful creature be linked to such a beast as Mahina?

It didn't make sense.

Unfortunately Mahina didn't have time to think over why it didn't make sense because the stillness around them suddenly broken by shouting in the distance and it got everyone's attention.

"She went that way" one voice yelled

"Get her!" another declared

"She's over there!" came a third

"Come back dammit!"

Within a few moments the packs cove was being invaded by a new presence and this presence came skidding into view forcing their run to stop abruptly kicking up dirt and dust in their sudden stop. It took a second but the dust finally cleared and when it did Mahina could hear her pack taking in sharp breath at what stood before them. Her skin was tan, much darker than Mahina's creamy skin; a long, red scarf flutter behind her as she straightened herself up shifting in her thigh high black heeled boots. Kiba visibly tensed at the sight of her and Mahina couldn't blame him for she almost tensed up too. Looking past her illusion Mahina could see that her packs new company was a wolf, another one of them with fur as black as night and big blue eyes from what Mahina could see.

"…wow" Hige marveled at the sight of the new female while Mahina slowly pushed herself to her crouching position taking in the black wolf's scent "what a babe" of course Hige would take note of her gender; spending such a long time with only Mahina must get tiring after a while. No proper introduction were made, that is no one had time to make any proper introductions because the female who joined them had brought whoever she was running from with her. A man appeared in the entrance of their little hide away in a white suit- a fancy looking one if you were to look at it from a human's point of view- and a few others appeared behind him.

"Ah" he sounded taking in all the people around now "she has friends"

"Yea?" Hige jumped in just as the female tensed up ready to either run or fight her pursuers "So what's it to you?" he pressed his fist against his hips and squared his shoulders trying to act big in front of the threat.

"Hand over the girl" the human demanded

"Why should we?" Hige challenged

"Because she's our merchandise" was the answer he got and it made Mahina snort out a slight laugh. Even in the world of wolves the situation wasn't all that different: females were property, merchandise to be kept close and owned. The human nodded to his two comrades before crossing his arms smugly "You guys aren't from around here" he observed

"Yea, so what if we aren't" Hige wasn't at all scared of this human, none of them were

"There's a high demand for young bodies in this town" one of the humans explained circling the pack as a whole until he stood on one side of them.

"People would pay top dollar for healthy organs" the other went on to say taking the other side of the pack, both humans held oh so "threatening" looking poles in their hands as they drew closer. There was a pregnant pause before they moved charging Tsume and Toboe ready to knock them out with those weapons of theirs. Mahina wasn't worried though, even wounded no human could really match up to the power of a wolf let alone the speed of one. Toboe and Tsume both dodged the attacks with little to no effort making the humans stumble about.

"You didn't really expect us to give up our bodies did you?" Tsume snorted before he rushed one of them and knocked him down. Kiba was quick to follow this action taking out the other one and slamming him down hard to the ground. The leader took this chance and made a charge for their new female company but she was quick on her feet sidestepping him with ease. This was when Mahina finally made her first move since they first arrived in this forsaken city. She was in the perfect position to retaliate; with the man in his cheat looking white suit now stumbling to regain his balance Mahina pushed off from her crouched position lunging into the air and at the man faster than he had time to react to. Her paws met his shoulders effortlessly and before he knew what hit him their combined weight shifted backwards and the human's back slammed hard against the concrete pinned there by the she-wolf's added weight. He blinked, coughing briefly to regain his breath but when his eyes met Mahina's silver ones and he saw the long sharp teeth she bared dangerously at him his breath was caught in his throat. It was easy enough to scare the souls out of the three humans once their true images came out for view; their faces drained of color and their mouths dropped open in stunned silence. It was in that instant that all of Mahina's frustration began getting the better of her, she felt absolutely malicious. Humans, it was all because of humans that Mahina found herself where she was now. These feeble, weak, insignificant creatures were the sole cause of all the suffering she had and continued to experience and she wanted nothing more in that moment as she pinned this mistake of existence than to lunge down at him and rob him of the gift he-and all humans for that matter- never showed gratitude for. She wanted to and she knew if she did no one would stop her; Mahina snarled dangerously at the human and after leaning back a bit lunged forward ready to rip the cowardly humans face clean off but just as she did she found herself stopping. A mere millimeter away from his face Mahina thought of Cheza, the memory of two days ago when Cheza was forced to witness the destruction caused by a human who obviously felt the same way about wolves as Mahina had felt about humans. She recalled the raw dread and despair that washed over her as Cheza watched, tearful and helpless, as the noble restrained nothing unleashing everything upon them. It made Mahina think: was there someone like Cheza for this human back at his home? Would they scream and cry if they were standing here right now? Would they beg for his life like Cheza begged for theirs? Was this human really all that different from Mahina truthfully? The mental image of the lovely maiden stopped Mahina just in time to save this humans life for she slowly pulled back though she made no moves to climb off him. The roles were reversed here, Mahina realized, and as the thought came to her the female thought of several different things. Humans and Wolves truly were the same despite one being more feral by nature than the other; both were complex creatures clearly misunderstood by both others and their own kind, they were feared by all and both were capable of absolutely terrifying destruction. Act proud all she wished Mahina was no different from the creatures she hated so which meant she, a wolf, was not better than them. Was she truly deserving of paradise than?

"I...I've lost my mind" the human who Kiba currently pinned down remarked with wide eyes staring up at the creature he lived his whole life believing to be extinct "no...it's the curse..." Curse? Mahina's eyes flicked towards the frightened human for a moment, what did he mean by curse? "It's the curse of the house of Darica!" he bellowed loudly screaming.

A curse, a curse...why did the humans words ring in Mahina's ears?

'_**Two years from today I will return for your soul'**_

_**"My soul?...why would you do that?"**_

'_**Because that is the curse of this house'**_

A curse, a curse of a house. The words from that dream so long ago forgotten suddenly echoed in Mahina's mind and with it a sudden pain came to her skull. Her nightmares came flashing through her mind at the mention of this curse the humans thought was happening; the flames, the humans with guns, the howls, the tank of water.

The white wolf that would claim her soul.

It all flashed before her eyes so fast and so abruptly Mahina barely had time to brace herself for it then just as fast as she was swept away by the images the she-wolf was back in the present only she wasn't. The human under her stared up with horror but when Mahina looked down at him it was like she was staring at him through the holes of a mask; as if she were inside of her body yet not. A great fear struck Mahina and dumb. Her body began to move on its own, she backed up off the human in his white suit and before she knew what she was doing the she-wolf turned and sprinted out of the once quiet little cove at full speed. In her wake the three humans screamed in horror at the thought that they almost died at the hands of creatures they once thought were no more. The sun was harsh against her eyes when she finally emerged from the darkness of the abandoned structure but she didn't stop running. From the sounds of it the others soon followed after Mahina running out of the cove and leaving their prey behind to cower in fear.

They followed Mahina deeper into town until she couldn't run anymore and they stopped. After clambering up a pile of building rubble the she-wolf dropped to her hands and knees gasping and panting for breath while the sounds of the others slowing to a stop around her. Her still barely healed wounds ached from the sudden activity after two days of lying around doing nothing but sleeping and her lungs burned. Mahina didn't look up at her pack, her crimson eyes remained fixed on the concrete beneath her palms in bewilderment and slight horror. What was that? The flashes of her nightmares, the searing pain in her head, her sudden feeling of unwelcome sensation of her own body; and all of this was in reaction to the mention of a curse.

'_**Because that is the curse of this house'**_

The words echoed in Mahina's head and the image of that white wolf from her nightmare seems to burn itself into her mind each time it did; it made the she-wolf flinch at her own thoughts and fear her own mind. What was happening to her? Mahina closed her eyes tightly trying to will this sudden rush of panic from her mind and settle her rapid heartbeat but it kept drumming on just as fast as it had been for the past few minutes.

She couldn't calm down; her mind was racing too fast.

There were too many questions left unanswered, Cheza wasn't there anymore to calm her.

Mahina had lost Cheza again; Mahina was lost and alone again.

She was spiraling downward going too fast to stop herself.

That was when the ground crunched beside Mahina, where she kneeled on her hands and knees with her head hung and gasping for air, and a hand was softly placed on her back. It broke her from her chaotic spiral and made her aware of her surroundings once more; someone was kneeling down beside her. It had to be Toboe, the pup had been very concerned about the she-wolf for the past couple of days now, so Mahina raised her head slowly swallowing a breath to assure him that she was fine-just out of breath- but her crimson eyes were met with azure and suddenly Kiba was leaning his head down to get a better look at Mahina's face. Kiba was stoic as ever, his normal facial expression was no facial expression after all, but his eyes… Mahina lifted her head higher to stare back into those deep blue orbs of his. Kiba's eyes were the doors to his mind and in an instant his concern for her washed over Mahina as if it were Cheza's emotions like a chilling wave of ice on a hot day. Still panting and gasping, Mahina took in the concern the white wolf showed her before letting her head hang again slowly closing her eyes; she stopped gasping and took a moment to take in deep, slow breaths of air. Her heart rate finally began to settle, her lungs took in more air and held it longer and the panic that had thrown Mahina into such chaos suddenly seemed like a distant memory. Kiba's hand never left its place on Mahina's back through her process of calming down and she was grateful for it; it was like an anchor to reality, a guiding light in a dark abyss. It centered Mahina and just like that, as if she hadn't been suffering a panic attack, she was okay. Slowly, Mahina raised her head again moving so that she was now sitting on the ground before looking to Kiba again. The white male gave Mahina a nod running his hand down her back in a comforting manner before standing up and turning to face the others. Mahina too looked to the members of her pack. Perhaps it was the change from a dark cove to an open space where the sun shined, maybe it was because they finally got to vent a little bit of their anger; whatever the reason was the air among the others seemed much lighter than it had been earlier in the day. Mahina could see it on everyone's faces: the pack, as a whole, was feeling much better after that encounter.

Tsume, perched on a high pile of rubble, held his head high like a mighty king and laughed.

"Did you see that stupid look on their faces?" the grey wolf snickered on

"Yea that felt amazing" Toboe beamed from where he stood, Kiba hummed his agreement before settling down beside Mahina who didn't object to how close her sat next to her.

"Are you alright Kiba?" Toboe shifted his gaze from Tsume to Kiba with a brief look of concern.

"Yea" Kiba responded with a grin while rubbing his shoulder.

"Mahi?" the pup's eyes found his only female pack mate who smiled sweetly in return.

"Don't worry about me Toboe" she hummed "I'm sore but I'm alright"

"Hey, are you alright?" Hige's voice reached Mahina's ears from a short distance away earning the she-wolfs eyes. He wasn't addressing any of them when he asked that questions instead the chubby male was talking to the new addition to their fold- the black female who had yet to introduce herself. In truth though she didn't need much of an introduction for even Mahina, who'd only seen her once, knew exactly who she was based on Kiba's descriptions and the female's scent. The black wolf stank of alcohol, gunpowder, and humans. It didn't take a fool to realize who she was but the better question was what was she doing here and why was she alone?

"I'm alright" she mused to Hige "Thanks for helping me back there"

"We didn't do it for you, you know" Tsume was the first to spit out venomously "Those idiots just happen to catch us in a bad mood that's all" and though Mahina didn't really approve of how spitefully Tsume sounded when it said this she didn't voice any disagreement to his statement. It this wolf hadn't been being chased, if those humans hadn't shown up with her this encounter could have been a lot different.

"She was just thanking us, Tsume, why do you have to be so harsh?" Hige questioned perplexed by the sudden change in everyone's demeanor "It's not like we run into girls everyday" he turned back to the female and smiled kindly at her "My names Hige by the way"

"My name's Blue" the female replied softly to Hige but then she stared past him at Kiba "…it's been a while, huh?" she added

"Wait" Hige looked from Blue to Kiba and then back to Blue "You guys know each other?"

"You could say that" Kiba shrugged casually.

"You did some pretty nasty things to us" Tsume chimed in

"You….and your human" Mahina added bitterly remembering the bullet that drunken old man had buried deep into her back long ago but not long enough for her to forget the pain and near death it had caused. The she-wolf reached up and gripped her back where Kiba had to claw out the bullet as the thoughts of that human reminded her of the wound. It wasn't perfectly healed yet but the bullet hole and claw marks from Kiba were already beginning to form a scar on her skin.

"That old man" Toboe spoke up next when no one seemed to want to say anything else "Where is he?"

"…." Blue turned away from the group before her "Something happened and we were split up"

"He was still tracking us in the last city we were in" Kiba spoke up

"I know he was" Blue nodded "That's why he was there….pops would track down a wolf to the ends of the earth" the look in her eye and the tone of her voice gave off her nostalgia of such things and it almost made Mahina snort out a laugh. Even as a wolf this one was still a hunter's dog.

"But I don't get it" Toboe turned to Blue fully "aren't you a wolf too?"

She was a wolf, Mahina mused to herself, perhaps not completely but a wolf all the same; Blue had enough awareness to shift. The shift was the talent that marked one as a wolf now; domesticated dog no longer had the awareness of the ancestry to create the allusion that the wolf used to save themselves from extinction. Some dogs had it, the ones closer to wolf then they were dog had that awareness locked somewhere within them but after spending most of their lives as nothing but pets for humans that wolf in them get locked away never to be discovered. In truth Blue's situation could have easily become a scenario for Toboe had his human not pasted away and left him to fend for himself; having no one but oneself to count on to survive could easily unlock the beast that was the wolf. Others, like Blue, unlocked it by being made aware that it was there like pointing them to a door they never noticed before. That's what Cheza had done when she had encountered Blue in the last city they had been in. Mahina remembered seeing Blue briefly tied up to a post outside what looked like a bar. She remembered how a wave of curiosity and excitement took over her as Cheza stopped and walked down the alley to pet Blue and the words she had spoken opening the hunter's dog to what she truly was only to have no choice but to run away quickly before the human could get out the door and catch them.

Blue had been awakened by Cheza.

"Hey" Blue spoke up changing the subject "That girl. Isn't she with you?...you know the one you were traveling with" Even from where she sat Mahina could see Hige visibly tense at the mention of Cheza as if the topic had suddenly become taboo to speak of "…she had a…. a really strange scent"

"The girl?" Toboe echoed "…you mean Cheza?"

"Cheza?" Blue repeated and suddenly group became silent and a bit tense. Mahina couldn't help but frown and look away.

They had lost Cheza.

"Oh! Uh…" Hige jumped to his feet easily sensing the sudden change in mood among everyone "about that…let just say we shouldn't talk about that right now…_I know_!" the chubby wolf was quick to change the subject "why don't we all look for some food? I mean we did just bump into each other and all. Besides, there's a whole mess of danger for a girl alone in a town like this"

"Oh really?" Mahina mused, she grunted slightly before pushing herself up to her feet offering Toboe a small smile when the pup moved to help her. When she was steady the she-wolf stood tall with her hands on her hips shooting Hige a challenging look "Care to test that theory once more Hige?"

"eh…heh heh heh well…" Hige responded nervously but before he could try and talk his way out his accidental offence of Mahina Tsume was up and arms against the idea of going hunting for food with Blue.

"Not a chance, porky" he shot the idea down like it was a pesky fly buzzing around his head.

"Why not?!" Hige almost growled

"As if I'd hang around with _her_" Tsume all but snarl standing up as well he took a couple of step forward until he stood to Mahina's left "She was doing everything she could do hunt us down"

"Yea but-"

"You know you're only saying you're only saying that because it didn't happen to you" Toboe cut off Hige's attempt to reason with the pack.

"Hige" Mahina spoke up next still gripping her shoulder as she stared into Hige's angry eyes "Her human has been hunting us since day one…. He _shot me_ in the _back_… I almost died… don't you remember that?" her words must have hit home if only a bit because Hige faltered frowning slightly at her words. "Forgive me if I don't feel too trusting towards that hunter's lapdog, wolf or not"

"Mahi…"

"Forget it, I don't want to hang out with a bunch of kids either" Blue stopped the argument before it could go any further. She turned on her heel and began walking away before anyone could, that is if any of them wanted to, stop her "See you around"

"Hey!" Hige called after her before glaring at Mahina and the rest of the pack "Don't you guys think you're being a bit harsh?"

"If that's how you feel" Mahina didn't miss a beat "Then go after her"

"…." Hige and Mahina stared at one another for a second before Hige sucked his teeth and turned tail "Hey wait!" he called after Blue as she put more distance between her and them "It's dangerous!"

"But Hige!" Toboe yelled trying to stop the chubby male but it was no use, Hige was already running to catch up to Blue. When the pair was out of sight Tsume sighed, dropping back down to his seat and the pack fell into silence again. The once light air was now made heavier by the exchange, so much for everyone being in a better mood.

"His tail wags whenever there's a girl around" Tsume voiced to the pup "let him go"

"When we were back in that city" Kiba explained calmly "she found out she was half wolf… Cheza told her"

"….Cheza…." Toboe hummed the flower maidens name like a pleasant memory, Mahina turned her head to look at the runt as he tipped his head back and looked up at the grey sky over their heads "…I wonder how she's doing…if she's okay…"

Was Cheza okay? That Mahina didn't know. For the past two days the she-wolf had actually tried to connect to the maiden; Cheza was awake now so it wasn't like she was looking for something faint like before. No, Cheza's emotions drowned Mahina now, ever since they laid eyes on each other so Mahina had thought, maybe, she'd be able to figure out where that Noble had taken her or at least figure out what direction to start. Anything was better than submitting to the idea that all hope was lost and that she might never see Cheza again. However… for the last two days Mahina had felt nothing. She could reach as far as her inner mind could ever imagine going but the flower maiden was lost to her; like the door that had been opened between them was suddenly bolted shut cutting Mahina off and leaving her in darkness alone. Mahina couldn't even sense how the maiden was feeling anymore and to have that sensation stripped from her suddenly after days of being ever embraced by it left the she-wolf feeling lost, truly lost. It dawned on Mahina that she was completely at a loss as to what she should do next and the thought made her frown.

What could she do?

"…Mahi?" Toboe seemed to be brought back to the moment when Mahina moved. The pup watched his mother figure turn away from everyone and after digging her hands into her pockets began walking away "Where are you going?"

"Stay here Toboe" was the only thing Mahina said in response not bothering to look back at the others as she walked to the edge of the ruined building they were on. The she-wolf paused for a second before stepping into open air and letting herself drop down from the high structure.

"But Mahina-" Toboe moved to go after her but Tsume stopped him

"Leave her be" the grey male spoke up halting the pups steps. Toboe glanced back at Tsume. The older wolf stared past Toboe watching Mahina as she landed gracefully on the ground below before slowly going on her way; soon she too disappeared from view and when she did Tsume stared hard at his own feet "She's had a bad couple of days."

* * *

><p>Mahina wasn't sure how long she walked or even how far. Her mind wandered to so many different things throughout her walk but most of her thoughts were full of self-doubt and confusion. With her hands deep in her pockets the she-wolf tracked back to the events of earlier in the day.<p>

"The curse of the house of Darcia…" she let the words roll off her tongue slowing to a stop and taking in her surroundings; Mahina had walked a good distance from where she'd left the others, she could see tall buildings of the city a short distance away. The direction she walked- which lead away from the city- was nothing but ruble and wasteland for miles. Slowly, Mahina turned her head to look at the land ahead of her and feel like it was a perfect representation of her current state" Beaten, broken, weathered down and endlessly lost.

The Noble had taken Cheza; taken her and left to somewhere far, far away where not even Mahina's connection could reach her. Would she ever see Cheza again? Where could the Mahina even start to look?

The she-wolf was back to square one again. Why did it always end up like this?

"…The curse of this house…" the words from that dream so long ago now made their way past Mahina's lips. Could that be the reason? Could she be cursed? That might explain a few things like her lack of memories of the past perhaps even her connection to Cheza. Was that the reason why everything seems to end like it did, with Mahina cold and lost and alone? Perhaps it was just a sign that she was unworthy of paradise. Maybe no matter how hard she tried to reach that place paradise had decided that she did not deserve to enter. That was why every time she got so close to paradise she could taste it her hopes and dreams were swept from under her because she was a feral beast, because she could do nothing but kill and destroy, because all she did was cause Cheza pain and make her cry. Mahina frowned deeply as she stared off into the empty plain before her.

Perhaps she should just keep walking and leave the pack behind.

The thought came at random but it stuck fast to the she-wolfs mind and she let it take root and begin to grow a strong reason why it was such a good idea to just leave making her feet move on their own and slowly lead her away from the city. The pack was dissolving, Hige would probably follow Blue wherever she went and if she decided to go back to the pack Tsume wouldn't stay, both he and Kiba had enough bad memories of the hunter's dog for the grey wolf to prefer solitude over traveling with her. If Tsume left Toboe would surely follow him and Kiba…. Mahina paused in her steps at the thought of the white wolf. Kiba…Kiba would probably continue his search for Cheza. He would die for the flower maiden and anyone could see he would never be at peace if he gave up now. Even if chasing after the flower maiden meant that noble would kill him Mahina knew for sure, with a slight fondness to the thought, that when he was strong enough that was the path Kiba would go down even if it lead to death, even if Paradise did not open for him, even if he had to go alone. That was Kiba's purpose in life so why should she make it any harder lingering about at this point. Mahina glanced back at the city where her pack was; there would be no teary goodbyes, no questions as to why she was leaving in the first place, Mahina could just disappear, walk away and never look back. Now, it felt like, all that was left for Mahina to do was find her own corner of the world to wait for death to come.

"What a lonely existence" the she-wolf thought bitterly with a chuckle in her throat and a sad smile on her face "But one I have been use to… a cursed life stained with a cursed past…" and so Mahina had decided her path with a sullen resolve. It was one that she was use to by now and wasn't sure why she for a minute thought it wasn't something she was supposed to be following. Life with a pack just wasn't for her; life chasing paradise was something she was unworthy of.

That was her curse.

_**BANG!**_

Before Mahina could take another step forward the air rang out with the loudest gunshot Mahina had heard in a long time. She flinched and glance back at the city she had been so ready to leave behind. The wind suddenly picked blowing in her face as she turned to fully face the city. Mahina closed her eyes and let the wind drift into her knows, the air smell of gunpowder so someone had certainly fired one but there was something else faintly in the wind: Blood. It wasn't just any blood either and Mahina recognized it with slight fear, this was Tsume's blood. But she'd left Toboe with him! Did that mean that Toboe was in danger?! The thought of the pup having to stare death in the face almost sparked Mahina to turn back but then she stopped short. The resolve that had taken root earlier lightly tugged at the back of her mind reminding her of the path that she was destined to walk. That's right, Mahina was cursed. Tsume would not be brought down so easily and Mahina's presence would only make things worse. This would be a solid goodbye with now looking back, she could not look back. Her resolve of solitude now restored the she-wolf took a step back and with dulled eyes turned away from the city and the scent of blood that lingered around it. She would have to get used to the smell as a feral beast she would be faced with it for the rest of her life. Mahina took off forcing herself to ignore the loud gunshots that echoed through the air allowing the wind to push at her back like a sail on a ship propelling her forward and down the road she so stubbornly decided for herself but as the second gunshot rang out and shuddered through the air Mahina halted completely. It wasn't like she had planned to stop, she had shut her ears to the violence happening behind her; something had stopped her.

It was an invisible force that, without warning, wrapped its arms around her frame and held her in place with unimaginable strength. A scent rushed past Mahina being, mixing with the wind that had been pushing the she-wolf away; it mixed and mingled with the wind until it took it over and suddenly blasted Mahina's resolve out of existence. The scent was so strong it nearly knocked Mahina off her feet; this scent so sweet and tempting and thought to be lost forever. The female closed her eyes and took in a deep breath welcoming it like the old friend that it was; this… this was Cheza's scent, this was the smell of the lunar flower.

…_.Don't run…Don't run…Don't run._

The invisible arms that wrapped so tightly around Mahina's body gripped her even tighter. Behind Mahina's closed eyes she could imagine Cheza standing with her perfectly. She could imagine the flower maiden's little arms wrapped around her waist as she buried her face into Mahina's back. Cheza's slender fingers gripped fistfuls of the she-wolfs blouse keeping her from moving forward anymore.

_Don't run away…Don't run away…_

"…Cheza…" The maidens name came out of Mahina's mouth and as soon as it did the connection was cut, the scent disappeared and Cheza was once again lost to the female. Now Mahina returned to the present and found herself standing alone in the empty plain with no wind at her back like she had once imagined. The connection had be quick but it had been strong and the message had been clear, Cheza had reach for Mahina this time and she was calling to the she-wolf. Even in the brief instance Mahina felt the maiden's emotions as she was embraced; Cheza viewed none of the wolves as beast, she understood the necessity of death- truly she understood- and though it sadden her the thought of never seeing the wolves again saddened her even more. Cheza longed for them; she wasn't afraid because she knew they would come. She wanted them to come, she wanted to lead them to paradise because she felt- Cheza, with all of her heart felt-that these wolves, her wolves, deserved the utopia they searched for and she would not let them stray. All of that gripped Mahina in the short instant that Cheza was able to connect to her and it was enough to rip the weeds of doubt from the she-wolfs mind.

* * *

><p>Tsume's scent was an easy enough thing to follow when he was bleeding, it also helped that whoever was chasing him was yelling and shooting their gun as they did. As she leapt from stone structure to stone structure Mahina could hear the echo of their footsteps below her. Ahead, she saw Kiba run out of a tunnel with Tsume not far behind him and soon after him came the three humans from earlier in the day wielding guns and shouting among them. As Mahina drew closer she saw one of them take aim. The rest of the world faded from Mahina's mind; she ran as hard as she possibly could and without hesitation took to the air leaping off the ledge she had been running towards and into the air with a feral snarl and large teeth bared. Kiba caught sight of her first and the look of shock on his face was all that the she-wolf saw before she went sailing over him, past and equally stunned Tsume and directly at the horrified looking humans chasing them. The one aiming recklessly fired and the gunshot rang throughout the tunnel but the bullet only grazed Mahina shoulder and she was strong willed enough to ignore the pain it caused her and land on the shorter one of the three pinning him to the ground. He yelled out in fear and surprise while Mahina's hands found the humans wrist and slammed them down. Her hair stood on end and her eyes grew wide fixing the human with an intense gaze; silence followed the attack allowing those around quiet to realize what had happen. The poor creature shook under Mahina barely daring to break eye contact with her as she loomed over him. He did briefly glance away, however, and Mahina caught what he looked at.<p>

"Try it…" the she-wolf's voice came out in a calm tone; the human flinched before freezing turning his gaze back to Mahina instead of the gun he had dropped when he fall. The female's upper lip curled revealing pearly white fangs and a growl "Shall we test who is faster? You or me?" Mahina taunted "bet if you wish, I assure you: you will lose"

"Mahina" Kiba's voice reached Mahina's ears as well as the retreating steps of Tsume. It wasn't hard to understand the command; it was time to move.

"Remember" Mahina remarked to the human she had pinned "I'm faster and I always hit my target" with that said the female leapt back and she and Kiba were off after Tsume running at top speed in case the humans decided to be brave again.

After a bit of running the three found the ruins of what once must have been a bridge. Kiba, who was leading they're escape, ran straight for it without hesitation and Mahina was quick to follow with Tsume right behind them. They could duck for cover over here for a while and wait for the other to catch up; no doubt the others had heard the gunshots and smelled Tsume's blood. They were probably on their way right now. Mahina had to be honest, she was glad that Toboe didn't listen to here for once and had decided to follow Hige rather than stay with Tsume, if he had been with the grey male when the shots were first who knows what would have happen to him? Mahina wasn't sure how she would have reacted if those humans had shot the pup. As the trio found cover in the shadow of the bridge Tsume grunted in pain and slowed to a stop; both Kiba and Mahina stopped and glanced back at him at the sound.

"Are you okay?" Kiba questioned and Tsume quickly nodded his head though he held his arm with his left hand.

"You were shot" Mahina observed aloud despite how obvious the statement was; she was so close to the male now that her senses were drowning in the scent of his blood. Tsume ignored the small look of concern the she-wolf had given to him and shook his head.

"Don't worry" he remarked not seeming at all bothered by the wound on his arm "the bullet only grazed my arm."

"...What's the matter?" a new voice joined the three in the shadows and took them by surprise. Mahina spun around to face this new presence. Before them stood a frail looking old woman, there was no sense of being a threat coming from her; she gave off the air of being rather meek and gentle for a human. Even if she had been so sort of violent at one point those days were obviously past her in her old age. Her meek demeanor helped her sneak up on the wolves so easily. Her eyes were kind as she looked from Kiba to Mahina and then finally to Tsume "Have you kids been hurt?" she asked noticing how Tsume gripped his arm "are you alright?" with a kind look to her face the elderly human moved to approach them but before she could take so much as a step the loud sound of gun being cocked echoed around them. It was now that Mahina noticed a large trailer parked against the wall of the ruined bridge, the door to the mobile vehicle was thrown open and standing in the doorway was an old man who must be the partner of this old woman. However, unlike his kind and friendly looking partner, this old man was not very frail looking and it was hard to describe him as seeming meek when he was pointing a point at ones face. Just the sight of the gun made Mahina's fur bristle and a ghostly throb to come to the still fresh to memory bullet wound on her back.

"Elmaira" the elderly male called to his female counterpart "you come over here now."

"We have no intention of hurting either one of you" Kiba explained with calm haste moving to step forward and show he meant no harm but the old man raised his gun higher turning it from Mahina to Kiba now. The white wolf froze before hold his hands up to show he meant no harm.

"Oh for heaven sakes, dear" The old woman Mahina now knew as Elmaira spoke with a sigh to her voice "put the gun down, they're only children!"

"Don't be stupid" Her partner shot back without hesitation, his gun was steady and his voice didn't shake. This old man was ready to shoot them down should any of them think they were fast enough. "They're strays and they're dangerous"

"Strays?" Mahina couldn't help but repeat the word. Strays, he was calling them strays as if they were a bunch of lost dogs… that could only mean one thing. Mahina's bristled fur relaxed ever so slightly as she stared at the old man with new found realization, those tired old eyes could see past the illusion. This human knew exactly what they were.

"What are you talking about?" Elmaira tried to convince the old man otherwise for she could only see the three of them in their human forms "Have you lost your senses?"

"Elmaira I may be an old man but I am _not_ going senile!" The man spoke with determination in his voice "Take a good look at those three" now he was trying to convince Elmaira to see what he saw but obviously she wouldn't. To see past the illusion was to see the truth, it was like opening your eyes to the world for the first time and to do that you would have to cast aside all that you ever believed in your life. As a human being something like that became harder to do as you grew older because what you believed tethered you to your reality and no adult likes having their reality shaken. The tense silence around them was suddenly broken by the sounds of the others finally finding them. Toboe was the first to round the corner and see what was going on. The copper pup yelped in surprise skidding to a halt and causing Hige to crash into him. Hige looked past the pup and when he saw the old man with a in his hand his eyes grew wide.

"Oh crap!" he yelled out, the exclamation cause the already tense man to go over the edge. With his eyes wide with slight fear the old man spun around to face the new comers and aim his gun ready to pull the trigger but faster than Mahina could have ever reacted Blue appeared. She was the last person to round the corner and take in the scene before her and not even for a second did she hesitate. She zipped past Hige and Toboe with a speed all her own and ran straight for the trailer. The old man pulled the trigger and loud shot rang out but Blue was quick on her feet dodging the bullets in a cloud of dust that blinded everyone for a beat. When the cloud of dust finally settled Blue was sitting on the ground before the old man with her ear flat against her head and her big blue eyes staring up at him. She did snarl at him, she didn't leap up and rip him apart; Blue just sat there and stared at him with innocent eyes and it seemed like this was enough to keep the old man from firing off another round of bullets at them

"We are not gonna do anything to you so just leave us alone." Kiba took this opportunity to reason with the man and explain that none of them mean him or his female harm. They were just passing through, just trying to get away from the dangers of the humans that were hunting them. Why could no human see that? All they wanted was to be left alone and in peace, they didn't want to hurt anyone and they never went out searching with the intent of hurting humans. "I don't wanna fight if there is no reason to, I don't wanna kill." Kiba explained himself as Mahina seemed to dawn on the reality of it all, Wolves weren't feral beast out to cause bloodshed and murder, wolfs just wanted to live, wolf just wanted to go to paradise.

"Did you see the wolves?" Mahina looked back the way they came and quietly cursed to herself. Those stupid human were brave after all, well either they were brave or very stupid "Search over there!"

"Those people want to catch us and sell us to the highest bidder" Tsume spoke up now that the old man heard the sounds of shouting coming from where the pack had been running from "It's up to you whether we avoid bloodshed or not." And it truly was. The old man had two options before him right now: he could either continue to point that gun at them and keep the pack standing around until those others found them hiding here under the bridge and have the result of bloodshed and death for not only those who hunted Mahina and her pack but for himself and his female, or he could let them pass like they had intended to and pretend he never saw them. The answer was an obvious one if he wanted to live a little longer and he took it without hesitation but the other humans were far too close for the pack to escape easily so Toboe and Hige stayed outside while Elmaira rushed the rest of them into the trailer to hide. Mahina watched with a held breath from the window as Toboe and Hige lay one the ground before the trailer pretending to be dead.

As soon as the humans chasing them rounded the corner the old man pulled the trigger of his gun and started firing off rounds to the ground next to and around the pair throwing up dust and dirt so it was hard for anyone to tell if he was actually shooting them or not. The human in the cheap looking white suit, the one Mahina had almost killed earlier that morning halted upon arriving on the scene.

"Die you damn wolves!" he shouted at the top of his lung cocking his gun and firing off another round "Take this! And this!"

"Did you kill them?!" the man in the suit gapped at the scene in shock and disbelief, for a second Mahina almost doubted he would believe what he was seeing. After all he and his goons were younger than the old man before him and even they could match up to the pack so how could he believe that an old man could simply take out his gun and shoot down two of them. Mahina had to give credit where credit was due though because the old man was putting on a pretty convincing show.

"Stop it!" Elmaira yelled gripping the gun so the old man would stop shooting "That's enough!"

"They cast a spell on me!" the old man yelled out hysterically "I was only…" he yelled out and swung his gun free from his female's grip and fired another round for good measure.

"Calm down!" Elmaira yelled and began wrestle the old man for the gun

"Dammit" The thug who had been chasing them sucked his teeth and cursed loudly "those things are worthless if they're dead!" and just like that he believed what he saw. Mahina couldn't help but fall limp with relief when she saw them turn away from the bloody scene and walk away until they disappeared back around the corner that they had come from. How ironic, just this morning Mahina was in a state of murderous hatred for all human being but here she was being saved by one at the end of the very same day.

When the threat was no longer upon them Elmaira invited the pack to stay for a little while to rest. Even though she couldn't see the wolves behind the illusion they created it was obvious to her theirs was a long and tiring journey so she hoped that, even for a little bit, they had a place to rest and relax before going on their way. The kind elderly human even made them food setting a plate piled with cooked meat for them to devour. Hige took a nice helping of the food offered only sparing the others a good amount when Tsume fixed him with a hard stare. It was now after the sun had set and the night became dotted with stars that found herself sitting in a chair at the table Elmaira had place for them calmly eating the food given to them and watching Blue curiously. Ever since she had shown up on the scene she hadn't changed to her human appearance. When the threat was no longer there she stayed at the old man's side where he sat and quietly allowed him to bet her, No matter how much of a wolf she like to act like she was Mahina could see that Blue was really a dog at heart, a pet who missed moments like that.

It was something looked at with slight disgust but more envy. She couldn't honestly call Blue pathetic because she didn't know what it was like to be owned by a human; besides, it was because of Blue that the old man hadn't shot them in the first place so Mahina wasn't in a place to judge.

"Please forgive my husband" Elmaira spoke up a while later when everyone was settled in and eating comfortably, Mahina shook herself of her thoughts about the wolf hunter's dog and turned to the old woman who had offered them such kindness "I can't believe he thought you were wolves of all things." She shook her head sadly before offering Mahina a glass of water that she politely declined, Elmaira smiled at her before turning her eyes back to her husband who now focused on petting Blue. "He's starting to get more and more confused lately" she explained why she thought he had seen them as wolves though she couldn't have possibly known he was right in his assumptions "that's why we went on this little jaunt. Spent what time we have left on the road he said so now this trailer is our home as well as our coffin" At this she gained almost everyone's attention. It wasn't hard to read the expressions of those who sat around the old woman nor was it hard to remember why such looks came to pass. Mahina sat back in her chair and closed her eyes for a moment, thinking back to an elderly wolf they had met in a fallen city that held the mentality that this old woman had. Look back at it now it seemed like years ago but it had only been a few weeks since they'd passed through that fallen paradise where lunar flowers use to grow. The old man had, too, seen his demise in the distance and had decided it was time to start looking for a place for him to rest for eternity. It was such a morbid thought, something someone as young as Mahina and the rest of her pack could never begin to comprehend or even accept. For them death was something that they didn't have to worry about for years. When one was as young as Mahina it almost seemed like death would never come to her but she guessed when she reached the age that Elmaira was you were more or less just waiting for that moment when it came for you. Despite her youth the thought unnerved Mahina a bit. "We've seen such horrible things." Elmaira said with a saddened voice she looked over to the distance "That castle of the Darcias to the west of here, which must have been beautiful once, is nothing but a giant grave."

"The castle of the Darcias?" Kiba repeated and Elmaira nodded her head

"It's as if everything in this world has given up its desire to live…" the elderly woman said sadly

"No, it hasn't." Kiba spoke up; Elmaira looked towards Kiba with a curious look as he pushed off where he sat on the ground giving everyone the cue they needed to know it was time to move out "The old man isn't confused at all. He's right, we are wolves."

"What?" Elmaira questioned stunned looking towards Mahina who rose from her seat and offered the woman a kind smile "thank you for your kindness"

"You ready to go?" Hige hummed glancing towards Toboe who nodded his head

"Hm!" the pup nodded his head

"Goodbye mister" Blue spoke up for the first time since she arrived on the scene standing up in her human illusion "take care"

"Where are you going to go?" The old man questioned

"To the castle in the west"

* * *

><p>The pack didn't set off to this castle in the west after parting ways with Elmaira and her husband. Instead they returned to the city back to the little cove they had been resting in before they had run into Blue. There was no doubt they would encounter that noble that took Cheza when they finally found the maiden and they had to be well rested for the confrontation. Mahina didn't sleep that night though, she refused to. She sat at the entrance of the cove staring into the distance and letting the breeze touch her face. It was hard to believe that not that long ago the she-wolf was determined to leave this pack and thought of paradise behind her and yet here she was now getting ready to start anew. Mahina could have laughed at how fickle her resole seemed is she didn't know how powerful her connection to Cheza was. Even with the bond blocked from her the maiden had sensed Mahina's loss of faith and stopped her before it was too late.<p>

Cheza still had faith so shouldn't Mahina?

The she-wolf felt like she should but even now she only barely felt even the littlest bit of hope. Mahina sighed quietly pulling her knees close to her chest and hugging them tightly. How could she hope to continue on this seemingly endless journey when she barely believed in it anymore?

In the quietness of the night someone within the cove stirred and after a moment of letting themselves wake up they shuffled to the entrance of the cove as if they sensed Mahina's restlessness and sat down right before her. The female didn't have to look up to know who was sitting in front of her but she looked up anyway. Kiba didn't look at Mahina; he sat looking out like she had with a calm expression. He didn't say anything so neither did she. For a while they sat in a somewhat familiar silence. Mahina took this time to observe the white male sitting before her.

Kiba would always be a mystery but as days passed and their journey dragged on the she-wolf was finding the little tells that revealed Kiba's emotions if only just a bit. Right now he tried to give off an air of being calm as he sat with his hands out behind him and his head tipped upward looking at the red moon overhead but his face remained stoic, as if he were in deep thought, and when he thought Mahina wasn't looking his azure eyes would shift ever so quickly to look at her. Kiba was worried and if not worried then slightly concerned and after a while of doing this Kiba finally spoke up.

"You're not sleeping?" asked the white male.

"Can't" Mahina responded "all I see now are nightmares" the female looked out at the ruined landscape Cheza was the only reason Mahina had no nightmares; with her gone the she-wolf didn't know what to expect if she surrendered to sleep and frankly she didn't want to find out.

"You should rest" Kiba tried to convince her "You'll need it for when we take Cheza back"

"Then why aren't _you_ resting?" Mahina challenged him without hesitation and he seemed to get her point because he didn't talk any further on the matter and Mahina, grateful for the understanding silence, let the subject of sleeping drop. "…you seem so confident that we'll get Cheza back" the she-wolf spoke up after a moment earning Kiba's gaze once again.

"Aren't you?" questioned Kiba, Mahina grew quiet settling for staring down at her toes than at the azure eyes fixed on her but even as she did that the female knew she couldn't dodge Kiba's curiosity.

"Ever since that noble attacked us" Mahina spoke quietly "Ever since I woke up and she was gone I haven't… I can't sense her… I can't sense Cheza…" the statement got Kiba's full attention; he sat up a bit straighter and turned himself so he faced Mahina. His concern was evident now thought whether it was for her or Cheza the she-wolf didn't know for sure. Mahina stared back at him but eventually looked away.

"You can't sense her at all?" Kiba asked and Mahina shook her head "but… what does that mean? ... is Cheza-"

"Dead?" it didn't take a mind reader to see that was where Kiba was going in his thoughts; his already pale face grew paler and a look of horror was bubbling to the surface. Mahina shook her head "no" she said "I would know if she was"

"But you just said you can't sense her, how can you know for sure?"

"Because then I would feel nothing" Mahina remarked sharply sending Kiba a hard look that quickly softened before she stared down at her feet again "I would have felt her essence fade…" Cheza wasn't dead, Mahina had felt her earlier in the day but the she-wolf was certain she would have felt Cheza fade if she had died like when the Hanabito did but this connection to the flower was one Mahina hardly understood so she didn't expect Kiba to even begin to comprehend it. "It's like…" Mahina tried to explain anyway "it's like a wall is suddenly between us; blocking us so I can't feel her and she can't feel me…" that was the best that she could do in explaining it to Kiba and he seemed to understand that when he noticed how Mahina furrowed her eyebrow in bewilderment. "Now that I can't sense her" Mahina went on to say in a sullen voice "I feel lost… like all the doors have closed for me including the one to paradise"

"That door hasn't close yet" even after learning that Mahina couldn't sense Cheza Kiba didn't sound to have lost hope at all and when Mahina raised her head to look at the white male she could see the fire that burned in those intense eyes of his. Kiba- who had been more invested in reaching paradise than Mahina had- hadn't given up yet. The white wolf had been beaten, battered, shot at and nearly killed; faced what seemed like the universe telling him no and he simply brushed it off and kept going. Mahina was in awe at his spirit and his confident smile "Don't give up Mahina" Kiba told her "I promised you didn't I?"

"Pr…" Mahina stammered out "Promised?"

"That I would get you to paradise" Kiba reminded Mahina.

At first the she-wolf didn't respond to Kiba's words, her eyes only grew wide when she suddenly remembered the day Kiba had made that promise to her. It had been the day that they had watched that old wolf work to death and the only time Kiba had ever seen Mahina cry. Mahina remembered the sight of Kiba's beaten and batter form as well as the weight of his barely conscious body as she practically dragged him back to where everyone rested; his eyes were out of focus but that fire was still there the same blaze that she stared at right now. It was in that instant as Mahina sat there with Kiba under the glow of a bloody red moon that a curious thought pass through the she-wolf's mind. It was a realization so simple Mahina had wondered why it took such a complicated moment for it to come to her. Mahina felt a small smile come to her lips and before she knew it her forehead was resting against the side of Kiba as she let the thought take root and grow strong in her mind, strong enough to cast away any more doubts the female may have had.

_This wolf_, Mahina thought in the peaceful silence, _is someone I can follow to the end._

* * *

><p>"They went that way right?"<p>

The next day the well-rested pack left the cove behind them like everything else they'd pass since freeze city and now stretched in the warmth of the morning sun. Toboe, who had returned to his lively personality, looked over his shoulder at the rest of the pack. Mahina rolled her neck a couple of times while Hige looked up at the pup from where he sat.

"They sure did" he replied

"Are we going?" Toboe went on to ask hopping down from the rail he was standing on

"Well yea" Hige replied as if the answer were and obvious on "we have to"

"So where are you guys headed?" Blue had been accompanying the pack since last night when they had run into that old human couple. When they had returned to the cove she offered to stand watch while the pack slept but eventually Mahina sent her away and took the watch herself. It was an understatement to say that Mahina still didn't fully trust Blue but… the once wolf hunter's dog did save their lives yesterday so she deserved a chance to prove herself in her newly awakened life as a wolf.

"We're all trying to make our way to paradise" Hige answered the black female's question with a cheerful look to his face

"Paradise" Blue echoed and Hige nodded, since she never knew that she was part wolf Mahina wasn't surprised that Blue didn't understand what Hige meant when he told her their goal.

"It's something every wolf has to try to do" the chubby male explained vaguely

"Oh right…"

"You're gonna come with us, aren't you Blue?" Hige brought up the question everyone seemed to want to ask but didn't appear to be sure of when the right time would be to ask. Second chances or not Blue's past would never change. She was the dog of a wolf hunter and not just any wolf hunter the wolf hunter that had shot Kiba down in freeze city and the very same wolf hunter that shot Mahina in the back originally intending to shoot Cheza. Who knows if Blue was really trustworthy, what if she was just acting the part to lead her human straight to them so he could kill them all? Besides, Blue may have wolf in her but she wasn't all wolf; what if paradise didn't even let her in? What would be the point of her coming if the goal was something she couldn't touch? These thoughts must have crossed Blue's mind so Mahina was curious to see if she would even take Hige up on the offer.

"It sounds tempting" the black female responded with a hum of contemplation over the situation. She had nowhere to go after she left the side of her 'Pops' as she called him and there was no guaranty she'd ever run into another pack of wolves and did she even know how to take care of herself now that she didn't have a human feeding her when she was hungry and providing her with shelter? "but…" judging by the look in her eyes Blue seemed to come to a decision "I can't go"

"…" Hige looked Blue over in consideration before hummed in understanding "well" he said crossing his arms "if you're not going than I won't go either"

"Hige…"

"You'd probably be better off if you stayed here with the humans" from her place beside Kiba, Mahina crossed her arms tightly and looked Blue up and down "It's not too late to go back."

"Mahi" Hige stood up as soon as the words left Mahina's mouth and the chubby male sent his female pack member a glare that she returned with a look of boredom "what the hell are you saying?!"

"I have no intention of ever going back." Blue spoke up before Mahina could retort to Hige's outburst. All heads turned back to the black wolf who looked calm as ever under Mahina's intense stares "I can never return to the way I was before. I just… I need to find out what I really am"

"Well then" Kiba joined into the conversation finally "The only thing you can do is move forward"

"Yea he's right" Hige jumped in quickly offering Blue a cheerful grin "the only thing you can do is move forward. Right?" he looked to Toboe for support and then turned his attention to Tsume "Right?"

"…Right" Mahina rolled her eyes "That's why you want her to come with us, so she can keep moving forward"

"Oh yea" Tsume snorted out in agreement "I can see right through ya, porky"

"Now if only Cheza were with us" Toboe spoke up leaning against the rail he had been standing on; he looked in the direction they had originally been going before that noble had attack them all, south to paradise. Hige stiffened at the pup's words and after giving Mahina a concerned look bonked the pup on the head "Hey-ow!" Toboe yelped holding a hand to his head

"I told you not to say that." The chubby wolf growled at Toboe before laughing loudly and smiling around at the rest of the pack. "Ok! Now that that's settled!" Hige yelled loudly as if he were gathering a group of tourist around to get them moving "Time to get a move on, onward towards paradise!" the chubby male turned away from Toboe and pointed boldly south and it made sense that he would point that way, it had been the direction they had been traveling when they had the path to paradise under them but while Hige pointed south Kiba pointed west.

"We're _going_ this way" the white wolf informed everyone earning looked of curiosity even from Mahina. Head west? But why? Mahina may have been knocked out of her senses when that noble had attacked them but she remembered enough of that night to know that the path to paradise had glowed a path southward not westward. Azure met crimson when Kiba turned back around to look at the rest of the pack and their confused faces; why west? The question was obvious from their expressions.

"Paradise isn't over there…" Toboe voiced quietly

"…No" the realization dawned on Mahina almost immediately "but Darica's keep _is._"

"His keep?" repeated Hige

"Yea" Kiba nodded

"Do you think Cheza's there?" Toboe asked hopefully looking toward Mahina for confirmation but the she-wolf looked to Kiba for the answer to that question rather than nod to Toboe. Only Kiba knew of her lacking link to the flower maiden. She couldn't tell them that she knew for sure that Cheza would be at the keep of the house of Darcia; if they went there was no telling what they would find there. It would have been smarter to just cut their losses and continue south but when Mahina met eyes with Kiba again the white wolf nodded his head and that ever so confident smile came to his face again.

"Kiba" Tsume said in a tone similar to a parent trying to reason with a particularly stubborn child "Cheza left us of her own free will you know"

"She only did that to protect us" Kiba replied and Tsume knew this to be the truth, if he didn't he would have argued with it immediately "she's waiting for us I know she is"

"…" a tense silence followed before Tsume spoke up again "that noble will be there too"

"I wouldn't doubt it" Kiba responded casually

"We all might get killed this time" Tsume went on

"If we're meant to die, then so be it" Kiba replied. Death seemed to be the truth that Mahina was beginning to realize might truly be their fate at the end of this journey but then again when she stopped and really thought about it that was exactly what they signed up for when the five of them left freeze city together: to reach paradise or die trying.

"When that happens" Tsume spoke ominously "You'll be on your own"

"No he won't" Mahina spoke up this time, she uncrossed her arms and looked back at Tsume crimson eyes blazing bright with a fire of determination "We aren't going to die facing anyone… we're going to paradise…" the she-wolf's gaze shifted and Blue, who had remained seated quietly through the whole conversation, gasped slightly startled when Mahina's red orbs landed on her "_All of us_" the she-wolf spoke with emphasize before offering her hand "…come on"

At first Blue didn't look like she was going to take Mahina's offered hand, for a while she stared at it with wide eyes not believing what she was seeing. Her deep blue eyes locked with Mahina's intense crimson ones and when the black female saw no hesitation in Mahina's eyes she smile and took the hand offered to her and stood up. It wasn't long after this exchange that the pack was off again away from the city they had taken rest in only instead of continuing south like they had for most of the journey they were heading west to the fallen keep of the house Darcia; a house that the humans thought to be cursed and the house of the noble that must have taken Cheza. As they ran Mahina couldn't help but recall what the noble had said that Cheza belonged to him, was the house Darcia the noble house that had created the flower maiden? If the ruined keep the pack had first met Cheza in, the place where Mahina too had felt so familiar and at home, was her home did that mean that it was a keep of the house Darcia as well? What did this all mean though? What connected all of the dots? Mahina didn't know but she had feeling many of her questions were going to start being answered starting now.

* * *

><p>'<em>Hey'<em> Mahina was taken from her thoughts, she turned her head slightly as she ran to look beside her were Blue now ran _'about yesterday… did pops…did he really shoot you?'_

'_Pops'_ Mahina repeated before looking ahead of her again _'you're referring to your human I'm assuming'_

'_um…yea'_ Blue confirmed

'_He was trying to shoot Cheza'_ Mahina explained calmly _'I was protecting her when your…__**'pops'**__ pulled the trigger, I have the scar to prove it if you don't believe me'_

'_I-I believe you'_ Blue replied and how could she not, from where she ran she could see the pale mark on the she-wolf's back where fresh flesh was beginning to form over the healing _wound 'but then why….why are you letting me come with you?'_

'_Huh'_ Mahina snorted out a chuckle and looked over at Blue once again _'you say that as if I had a choice in the matter'_

'_I may be new to this wolf thing but I'm not stupid'_ Blue was to set the record _straight 'you hold more power in this pack than you let on… you and that white one… you're what pops called the Alphas'_

'_We have no Alphas in this pack Blue'_ Mahina answered calmly _'…if you haven't noticed, Blue'_ the she-wolf said answering her question _'there aren't many other females around… you and I are two of the __**three**__ females I know that exist now. We have to look out for each other, us females'_

'…' a look of doubt crossed Blue's face one _'…what do you want from me?'_ the question flashed Mahina back to the city in the sea when Mahina held a very similar conversation with the female of Zari's pack, Cole. Now that she was speak from Cole's side of the conversation Mahina couldn't help but understand why Cole found Mahina so amusing and the she-wolf found herself laughing much like Cole had back then.

'_Nothing'_ she answered honestly _'I just…want to look out for you'_

'…_thank you'_ Blue responded starting what Mahina hoped would be the start a nice friendship between the only females in a pack full of males. It was nice to have someone to talk to other than three males for a change and the thought suddenly made the journey as light as it had been when Cheza had been traveling with them.

'_Hey Blue?'_

'_Yea?'_

'…_have you ever heard of a kiss?'_


	14. The fall of the house of Darcia

**Thank you too to Ocean of My Existence, BlueWillow29, Crystal-wolf-Gaurdain-967, and Felicia for the reviews last chapter.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter XIII:<strong> The fall of the house of Darcia

* * *

><p>One labored breath after another dragged from her lungs as she pushed herself on, the howling wind fought her slim frame trying very hard to deny her and for the first time in Mahina's life it felt like it was starting to win. The female grunted holding up her arms to shield herself from the snow that blew in her face; with each step forward it felt like the wind blew her three steps back. Even with fur the bitter sting of the cold wrapped its fingers around her blanketing her and her pack in thick snow and sending a chill up her spine. Mahina looked backed, Toboe took up the rear trying his best to keep up and a few feet ahead of the pup Blue only barely kept in pace with Mahina, behind them both was endless white like a blank canvas wiping clean their past failures. Then the she-wolf looked head; Hige was the closest walking a couple of paces in front of Mahina, he would occasionally look back and even slow down so the rest of the could catch up, when Mahina briefly saw his face from among the endless snow she could tell that even though he kept pace with the back fatigue was beginning to set him for him too. Tsume was far ahead of Hige and Kiba even farther ahead of Tsume. Mahina squinted against the blowing snow; she could barely make out the white male in all this snow, how could he not feel even the slightest bit tired after traveling in this snow storm all night? How could any of them hope to match Kiba's will power? Try as she may Mahina had to admit it here in the middle of this storm: she was tired and cold and she could not go on. Exhaustion came to the female like the snow that threaten to bury her and all she could do was hug herself tight and keep as much heat in her fur as possible, still her teeth chattered as a particularly strong gust hit them all.<p>

"Kiba!" Hige's voice barely reached Mahina's ear from within the howling of the wind around her and the loud chattering of her own teeth. The rest of the pack stopped when Hige spoke up and all turned their eyes to Kiba-or at least what they could see of him- to see if he would answer. When Mahina looked she saw exactly what she expected of Kiba and that was for him to still be walking despite one of his pack mates calling him. It had been like this in the forest of death and stood as a constant reminder that in Kiba's mind the well-being of Cheza outweighed the lives of the pack including his own life. None of them could be mad at Kiba for it honestly, each and every one of them knew what they were signing up for when they left that last city together the possibility of heading towards an early grave was a fact all of them knee... Mahina just didn't think it would be at the hands of nature. When Kiba didn't answer Hige the chubby male charged forward pushing against the wind and the snow to catch up to Kiba. Mahina sighed and with her face turned slightly away from the harsh snow moved closer so she could hear all that was being said. When she was close enough Mahina found herself standing next to Tsume and now trying to catch a breath she didn't actually know she lost. "Hey!" bellowed Hige gripping Kiba by the shoulder and stopping him from walking on "come on!" the chubby male yelled between pants for air "You're going too fast!...let's take a break!"

"We don't have time for a break, Hige" was Kiba's calm response

"Use your head for once!" Hige bellowed over Kiba, angrily the chubby wolf motioned behind him to set his point "We have two girls and a little kid!"

"I can hear you ya'know..." Blue didn't hesitate to join the conversation "Don't worry about me, I can keep up"

"Yea!" Toboe yelled out "me too!" he said this but when Mahina looked back at him Toboe was hunched over and looking as out of breath as Mahina felt. When Mahina turned back around she found that Hige was looking to her now. Honestly the female wanted badly to rest, she was so tired and so very cold and if she pushed herself she might not make it to the keep but Mahina clenched her chattering teeth and gripped herself a bit tighter for warmth.

"...I...I can keep going" she declared between gasp for air

"You do realize that he's the one whose tired right?" Tsume chimed in

"I do not!" Hige sent Tsume an angry glare "I just-"

"But he does have a point..." Tsume went on to say while looking over the three that took up the rear of the pack "At this rate none of us will make it...we can't rest under those rocks until the storm clears." Tsume motioned in the direction he claimed their resting place would be but when Mahina looked she could barely see anything. No one said anything at first but it was it obviously when the she-wolf looked around at her and saw their exhausted expressions that no one objected to taking a much needed rest. Hige was quick become cheerful now that he knew most pack agreed with him.

"Alright than, its settled" he said happily before turning to Blue, Toboe, and Mahina "Do you think you can hold on for a little longer?" his eyes shifted from one female to next, his concern was sincere, no one could argue that, but the bitter cold and the fact that Hige thought a little snow could stop her made her take offense to his words.

"I'm not fragile glass" she scuffed at him hugging herself tightly and looking away from the chubby male.

"Don't you worry about me, I can take care of myself" Blue added with a snap before turning away and heading towards their designated resting spot fighting the blow of the snow all the way. Toboe didn't bother to humor Hige with a reply; he was too cold to think and simply trailed after Blue shivering as he did.

"Yes Ma'am" Hige sighed in defeat having his new crush shut him down so coldly and easily. Mahina watched the trio as they walked in union farther and farther away from her but she made no moves to follow them just yet. Instead she looked to Kiba and Tsume. The two wolves stared each other down in the blister cold of the snow storm. Of what Mahina could see of Kiba's face it was easy enough to tell just what he was feeling; Mahina could see it in the stoic- yet stern- stare he fixed Tsume with and the tension in his shoulders.

Kiba was upset.

Perhaps not just upset but irritated, pissed off even and even as the she-wolf stood there longing for the shelter of the rocks in the distance she could understand why the white wolf was feeling the way he was. They were so close; after two days of feeling lost and hopeless the pack had gotten a lead on Cheza. They were back on track and the only chance they had to get Cheza lay waiting in the keep in the distant west in a keep of the fallen house Darcia. They were so close to getting Cheza back and it angered Kiba that everyone wanted to stop and rest. He was annoyed that they were wasting time but he wasn't stupid enough to see that it was necessary wasted time. Tsume was right, no one in the pack had Kiba's willpower and not one would survive much longer pushing themselves through the storm, not even Mahina- especially not Mahina who still to this moment recovered from past and present wounds. They had to stop to rest and Kiba knew that and it was that fact that upset him.

Tsume said nothing else to Kiba at this point; he turned on his heel and began the journey towards their point of rest for the night never once looking back. Even after Tsume began to walk away Mahina still did not move; she lingered a moment longer staring into Kiba's azure eyes the best she could. She knew what he was expecting of her; Kiba knew of Mahina's own desperation to be reunited with Cheza and something in her told the female that if she stayed by Kiba's side that he would press on even if the pack stayed behind. They could just keep going and no one would stop them; it was thought that crossed Mahina's mind in that instant. However, Mahina was cold and ache and too tired to even entertain the thought of running ahead with keep beyond the point of a small idea. The she-wolf turned and after offering Kiba one last glance was off in a light jog to catch up to Tsume.

Kiba did not follow her.

Even in the storm the grey wolf seemed to be able to hear Mahina's footsteps crunching the snow as she ran to catch up to him. He looked back at her before slowing his pace enough for the female to catch up. When Mahina noticed this she spend up just a bit more until caught up and was able to walk in pace with the much taller gray male.

"You're not going to stay behind with him?" Tsume asked a moment later looking back behind them. Mahina gave Tsume a bewildered look but looked back as well. He was so far away Mahina almost couldn't make him out at all but there he was in the far distance trailing after them, Kiba would come and rest as well.

"Why would I do that?" questioned Mahina

"Well it seems wherever he goes you usually follow" Tsume didn't hesitate or hold back as usual and the comment pulled a scuff from Mahina. Ever since this journey began everyone seemed to hint towards the same thing when it came to Mahina: that no matter where Kiba was Mahina was close behind. Why did everyone seem to think that? Why was it Kiba's journey that Mahina was joining in on? It wasn't because of Kiba that the she-wolf chased after Cheza. Everyone seemed to forget that the female had been looking for the flower maiden long before she ever laid eyes on Kiba's pure white form.

It was aggravating how some seemed to view Mahina like a female only capable of following.

"Males" she hummed with a growl of disgust to her voice "Always assuming we females simply follow you without question" Tsume looked like he wanted to remark back at the she-wolf-or at least from what she could see of his face he did- but he kept quiet so Mahina continued "I am my own being" the female said with her head tall "If I walk a path it's not because I follow a male, if I do something it's not under a male's will and I owe Kiba-or any of you- nothing for it was not by the endurance of a male that I was brought into this world"

"I get it, I get it" Tsume was quick to stop Mahina from going on and the female found herself scuffing once more at his interruption "But does this mean you're not willing to do everything for Cheza?"

"That was an idiotic question, Tsume, and you know it"

"Humor me with an answer, scrawny"

"I'm willing to lay down my life for Cheza" Mahina answered without hesitation or even a hint of wavering "but how can I do that if I'm already dead?" it was simple enough; Mahina would follow Cheza to the ends of the earth, she had proven time and time again that when face with Cheza's life or Mahina's survival the she-wolf's life was forfeitable. There were no questions about it and not an inch of doubt. If Mahina had to die for Cheza to live than the female would welcome death like an old friend but there was one problem. "I'm smart enough to know that Kiba feels the same way" Mahina went on to explain keeping her eyes focused forward as the rocks that were once in the distance slowly drew closer with each step "I'm also not stupid enough to know that when it comes to Cheza my safety cannot be placed in the hands of Kiba"

"…" Tsume did respond to the statement but Mahina could feel his eyes burning holes into the side of her skull.

"I trust Kiba when he says he'll get us to paradise because that all that he lives for and I know from experience that you don't take something like that lightly but it's also because it's all that he lives for that I know when it comes to my own life I can no longer trust Kiba." Mahina turned her head slowly and looked up at the grey wolf beside her "Kiba would have let me die in the forest of death" she stated and even the hardened Tsume flinched at the comment. It had been like a giant, pink elephant stomping about behind the pack since they made it out of the forest of death: the fact that Kiba, who before meeting Cheza was the first to run to Mahina's aim, had so suddenly cast her aside in her moment of need. No one had wanted to say it; if no one had said anything to him then Kiba would have left Mahina to die in the forest of death. "That is why even though I want so badly to keep going right now I won't" Mahina finished her explanation slowly looking ahead once more "because Cheza is more important; because if I can't go on Kiba will leave me behind to die out there. I cannot trust Kiba with my life when Cheza isn't here"

"…" even after all of that Tsume still said nothing in response to Mahina; he watched her carefully now that they stood so close and the snow blew a little less between them. Mahina stared straight ahead and though she seemed to be trying hard to mask it Tsume caught a faint glimmer of sadness in her eyes; the one wolf she related to most in the pack- the very one she trusted her fate with- was the one wolf she couldn't trust with her own life. She appeared to accept this as fact but that didn't seem to make her any less sadden to know "…then… who will you trust?" Tsume couldn't help himself, he was curious to know. Now it was Mahina's turn to not respond; she slowed to a stop just before the little cave that the other had already taken refuge under and Tsume stared at the back of her head from where he stood behind her.

An odd silence came between them for a moment broken only when Hige called from within the cave asking if the two of them were going to come in or stand outside all night.

"…" Mahina glanced over her shoulder at Tsume with this sullen crimson eyes of hers "…I don't know" she answered and with that spun back around and disappeared under the cover of the rocks leaving Tsume to stand alone and ponder over the female.

_The visions returned on that night in the harsh snow._

_Mahina's cryptic nightmares returned in their familiar haze of shimmering green. She was floating again in a sea of green with that strange shadow looming over her. Sluggishly, she blinked trying to clear her blurry vision so that she might see this person better. The figure stared for a while and then, eventually, reached down and hooked their arms under her small frame pulling her from her watery resting place. Losing the weightless sensation of the water left her feeling heavy in the person's arms so though she wanted to struggle and fight the one who carried her she could do nothing but remain limp and lifeless, her arms hung in the air, her head lulling about as they moved and her long, black hair brushing the floor leaving a trail of the water from where she once was._

_The person who carried her hummed in what sounded like deep thought. Though her body felt like it slept and her eyes were foggy her ears were sharp catching the echo of footsteps and the voice of a female from somewhere behind her._

"_The moon flower, my Lord?" questioned the female._

"_Yes" hummed the deep voice of the person carrying her "their scientific name is Hylocereus Undatus but they've long since been named Lunar Flowers" the male explained to his female company " They are beautiful, poisonous, flowers that only bloom once a year at night under the light of the full moon. That is the rare gem that was used" the blurry hallway gave way to a room. Her hazy vision saw images of tall tubes full of green water. Beautiful, white lunar flowers rest in some while others held the shadowy outlines of human figures with long flowing hair "but there is a price to such rarity and beauty; as soon as these flowers bloom they quickly wither and die. There had been theories that its life span could be extended by combining them but such theories have long since been disproved" there was a pause in the male's explanation and he used this time to set her down gently on plush cushions letting her feet sink into a small tank of water. A sense of motion was coming to her now and the shadowy male stepped back to give her room. She could raise her head though just barely for it felt heavy on her neck. The room was hued with green and each wall on either side of her was lined with these tubes of flowers and bodies but it was the sphere in the center that earned her attention. She raised her head a bit more to stare at it in a dazed wonder. The sphere was the only source of light in the room glowing emerald and granting her a sense of comfort, soon she knew why. Cheza floated quietly in the orb glowing as if she were the light source within. Even in this haze Cheza drew her in._

"_There is no questioning that this one is the key to opening paradise" the male declared. He watched as she slowly stood on unsteady feet and then made her way to the orb containing Cheza. The orb loomed over her forcing her to reach up high to press her palms against the glass surface "but the window in which it can be open is small… when this one awakes she will bloom, with and eventually die and paradise will be forever lost with her…"_

_Cheza would bloom, and then she would wither and die. Paradise would be closed forever and the retaliation snapped Mahina out of her dream._

She woke up with a stare; eye's snapping open and growing wide. The cove she sat in with pack came into view and the female found herself staring at the cover opening where Kiba stood impatiently. The air was tense around Mahina and she could only assume- once she calmed down enough to take in the expressions of her pack- that Kiba was ready to go and the pack wasn't moving. After leapt off the opening and disappeared into the still raging storm.

"Kiba!" Toboe was on his feet.

"Let him go" snapped Hige never once moving to stop the white wolf

"but…why?" Toboe questioned

"Right now the only thing he can see is _Cheza_" the ember wolf explained bitterly, his hands shoved deep in his pockets "it won't matter whether we're with him or not" the statement was true; Mahina had established that for Tsume earlier. Still, Mahina found herself unable to think of anything but Cheza either. Her dreams, if they were true then they were running out of time. Cheza, the key to paradise, was now on the path to die and when she did all that Mahina had suffered and worked for would be for not.

She had to get Cheza back.

With her mind made up Mahina pushed herself to her feet settling the conversation around her.

"Mahi?" Toboe was first to look to the she-wolf as she brushed past him "what are you…"

"You're going after him" Tsume's words stopped Mahina just as she reached the cave entrance. The gray male fixed Mahina with a hard stare as if daring her to tell him he was wrong "_Aren't you_?" he prompted her to answer.

"But Mahi"

"You can't seriously be considering going after that idiot!"

"…" Mahina remained quiet under the words of Hige and Toboe but her eyes never once left Tsume's. She could see it in his eyes the questions he wanted to ask her but didn't, even a hint of ridicule at how all her tough words seem to be all hot air when the she-wolf was faced with the choice but Mahina didn't let the look bother her and she didn't let the other's words get to her because she knew one thing… "… You don't understand" her voice found her faintly "I'm not going after Kiba. It was never about Kiba, none of this was. You will never fully understand the pull Cheza has until you've felt it yourself" and now that the pull had left Mahina the female missed it and wanted it back, she pressed a hand to her chest at the thought "I would follow Cheza forever because I fell that pull" Mahina said _'and so would Kiba'_ she thought quietly "Toboe, stay here"

"Mahina wait!" Toboe called

"Leave her, Toboe" Hige spoke up as the she-wolf disappeared among the wind and snow

"We'll follow them once the storm blows over" Tsume decided "for just get some rest and don't worry about it" but they did. Anyone could tell by the tense air that both Toboe and Blue were quietly reconsidering their options.

"Hige…" Blue turned to the chubby male while Toboe hummed with worry "you sure about this?"

"He obsesses too much" Hige replied with a grumble of distaste. It wasn't like he wasn't worried about Kiba, they were friends-pack mates- but time and time again the white wolf proved himself unable to think of anyone but Cheza when things got bad and Mahi "…" Hige made a face at the thought of the female and this odd bond she had with Cheza "…Mahina…" he tried to find fault in the female but found nothing but the she-wolf's sometimes annoying stubbornness. "She just… walks a different path from us… that's all" the ember male decided on saying. Mahina walked a separate path alongside theirs but she always seem to be looking out for someone and for that Hige could show no malice or displeasure towards her for leaving them behind.

In the time that Mahina had been sleeping the storm had, indeed, settled some. The wind blew past her frame in slight retaliation but gave no other form of resistance and so female had no trouble pushing on. She blazed through the snowy land until she found Kiba and with her head tipped upward Mahina let loose a howl to let male know she was behind him. Kiba stopped almost immediately and looked back when he heard the howl and Mahina sped up to get to him.

'_What are you doing here?'_ the question comes out as soon as Mahina was close enough

'_What do you think?_' Mahina responded slowing to a stop before him

'_You should have stayed back and rested' _Kiba shook his head but Mahina was already moving forward once more. "Mahina" the she-wolf stopped short when Kiba's hand found her wrist and kept her from walking on.

"We don't have time to waste, Kiba" Mahina shot Kiba a stern look before trying to pull herself free from him but Kiba held firm "Kiba-"

"Go back" Kiba demanded

"No" Mahina snapped back, her stern look morphing into a glare "the storm has settled enough, I won't have any trouble getting through the snow and I feel fine" the female yanked herself free and took two large steps back "I can keep going"

"…" the wind howled between them as Kiba stared long and hard at Mahina.

"Right now" Mahina's expression softened "for us, Cheza is more important and we can keep going" honestly Mahina hadn't expected Kiba to fight her on her coming with him. After all, it was Kiba who had been pushing the pack to the point of exhaustion before so when Mahina saw a look of doubt and concern cross Kiba's face she was just a little bewildered "I'll be fine" Mahina assured him "so let's keep going"

"…" Kiba stared in silence but eventually he nodded and they were off again

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><p>The remains of the keep of house Darcia was a large and complex looking structure that sat on a manmade platform in the center of what looked like a shallow body of water. Layered with a light sheet of snow it was as if the haunting place held a force field keeping the once blizzard away from its structure. Besides Kiba, Mahina stood staring at this lonely looking place though not with the emotions Kiba had when Mahina looked at him. He had a hard look to his face and his azure eyes blazed in a fire of determination that Mahina was all too familiar with; this was the defining moment: this was the showdown for Cheza. But Mahina felt something different. When she gazed at the keep she did not see a prison for Cheza or the fortress of the noble who took her. No, Mahina saw a keep as cursed as the humans believed it to be. There was just something about the way the wind moaned as it blown through the building that made Mahina tentative about going in. something was here, Mahina could feel it and it wasn't Cheza or the noble Darcia. It was some kind of entity and it felt like it had been here for a long time.<p>

It made Mahina nervous, more nervous than she should feel about it and she didn't know why.

"…are you ready?" Kiba's voice barely registered to Mahina as she continued to stare at the keep. If she closed her eyes she could almost see the eyes of this entity staring into her soul.

It was watching her, calculating her next move.

"Mahina" Kiba's voice was burring into the background for Mahina. This entity, did it want something from her? Why did it loom in her senses like this? What could this feeling of dread mean? Perhaps… perhaps this was a foreshadowing. Perhaps what loomed over Mahina was death. The she-wolf's eyes grew in size at the thought that such a thing lay in the keep awaiting her and for a moment Mahina was hesitant to enter.

_It is not death that rules this place._

A voice broke the wall of fear Mahina suddenly realized she had been lost in and it took her little to no time to realize that this voice was that of someone she missed dearly.

_Cheza?_

_This place has seen nothing but sorrow for a long, long time… this one can feel it._

…_yes…I do too._

_Do not fear it. Come, this one is waiting…_

Cheza's voice sounded so faint that when she finally fell into silence Mahina thought she had lost the connection but when she closed her eyes she could still feel Cheza there. The she-wolf could feel Cheza's heart beating as if it were in her own chest. Mahina welcomed the feeling with joy and a smile to her face.

"Mahina?" Kiba's voice brought Mahina out of her mind. She opened her eyes to find the male looking her over curiously.

"… She's here" Mahina spoke out calmly before shifting her gaze towards the keep looming over them. Kiba made a noise of surprise.

"Mahina…you…"

"Yeah" Mahina answered Kiba's question with a nod of her head "It's faint but it's there" she didn't know what she'd done to spark it but Mahina had reconnected with Cheza and though it was faint it felt like the female was being reconnected with part of herself. It felt so good; Mahina couldn't help but let a look of relief cross her face "She's waiting" the she-wolf announced. Her feet moved on their own now but Mahina was moved on their own not but Mahina was making no moved to stop them. Her spine trembled and her fur bristled as she neared the keeps entrance with Kiba close behind her "That's what she said… 'This one is waiting'"

"You heard…her voice?" questioned Kiba

"Yes" Mahina answered "and I don't want to keep her waiting a minute more"

Kiba didn't need to be told any more than that; the pair broke off into a run into the keep ready to face whatever awaited them. The halls were long and empty echoing the pounding of Mahina's and Kiba's feet on the ground as they ran. Mahina's senses were on fire; her connection with Cheza was getting stronger the closer the she-wolf got until slowly the flower maiden's emotions began to trickle back. Running as fast as she could Mahina skidded around a corner and down a lone hall with Kiba right behind her. The hallway had one door; it was a double door and it reached far over either one of their heads in an intimidating fashion. Mahina stopped before it to catch her breath and Kiba stood beside her. Catching his breath as well, the white wolf looked to Mahina who nodded her head.

This was it; Cheza was just beyond this door. Mahina could smell her lovely scent oozing out of the edges of the door.

Kiba threw the doors open loudly with both hands allowing them to see the room within. "Cheza!" Kiba bellowed the maiden's name while Mahina searched the room for any sign of her. She didn't have to look far. Cheza stood in the very center of the room with eyes wide with joy. A smile came to her face.

"Kiba, Mahina" her voice came out no different than it had been before she was taken away, soft and pleasant as it always had been.

"Cheza…" Mahina breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, she was okay. The she-wolf didn't waste time hurrying into the room ready to embrace Cheza, she could feel Cheza's joy coming over her in waves but suddenly there was movement too fast for Mahina to catch before it was too late.

Just as Cheza too broke into a run towards Mahina Darcia, the noble who sat so quietly in the back of the room the female hadn't noticed him, was suddenly behind Cheza. Kiba tensed and Mahina snarled as the man gripped the back of Cheza's neck yanking her clean off her feet and into the air. The flower maiden's body swung about limply and Cheza cried out from suddenly being handled so roughly. Darcia held Cheza like this for a moment looking over the two wolves that stood before him. From the one eye that wasn't cover by his mask Mahina could see a darkness flickering before he grabbed the mask with his free hand and pulled it off. The nobles once covered eye snapped open and Mahina's rage almost gave to bewilderment at what she saw. The human's left eye…it was…

"A wolf's eye" Mahina observed, that was it! That was how he knew they were wolves!

A look of madness came to Darcia's face once his wolf eye became visible and with clenched teeth he gripped Cheza hard and threw her across the room. It was like everything suddenly moved in slow motions before Mahina's eyes; she watched stunned as Cheza sailed across the air before her back collided with a small pillar at the other end of the room. The she-wolf swore she, too, could feel the pain of solid stone against her spine spreading up and down her back. This time Cheza shrieked in response to the rough treatment letting the room echo with that shrill cry that only canines could hear.

"Cheza!" bellowed Kiba

"You bastard!" Mahina snarled out, her fur was bristling and her fangs were bared "I'll kill you!" the she-wolf snarled furiously not thinking twice about charging the noble that could so effortlessly harm Cheza.

Darcia was ready for Mahina, something Mahina honestly hadn't expected. When the female was close enough he grabbed a sword he had strapped to his side and swung it. The blade was very long and wide, Mahina was only barely able to dodge it stooping low enough to slide across the tiled floor so it swung over her. Kiba quickly jumped into where Mahina was forced to leave off lunging at the noble with everything in him. Darcia swung his sword back around and the pair clashed loudly granting the air its first taste of blood from the battle. Darcia's sword had cut across Kiba's face but he landed softly behind the human and, after a quick glance over Mahina, turned back around to face him. Darcia didn't escape the first exchange unmarred either, Mahina could see the long line across the side of his face and the blood that ran from it when he turned back around to look at them.

"So wolf" Darcia broke the tense silence "have you come for revenge"

'_You will not hurt Cheza'_ Kiba responded

"Cheza…" Darcia murmured "… she is being that we created, a mere embodiment of a lunar flower. Why is it that your desire for her is so desperate?"

'_I don't know who you nobles are or what you're trying to do'_ replied Kiba _'and to be honestly, I don't really care. Cheza's all that matters, she's gonna show us the way to paradise'_

"You damn wolf" Darcia snarl, Mahina wasn't sure what it was the Kiba said to offend the human but whatever it had been it enraged him. "All of this first began with your wretched breed" he snarled out before gripping his sword tighter than before and charging. Kiba didn't miss a beat leaping high into the air and meeting the noble midair as he landed. This room echoed with the sounds of nails and teeth clashing with steel as Kiba and Darcia fought on charging at one another over and over again. Of course, Mahina didn't just sit back and watch the battle go on. Just after the noble and the white wolf clashed for a third time the she-wolf charged into the battle baring her teeth in a loud snarl and snapping at the human's ankles just as he was turning around to slash at Kiba. Darcia, however, was quick on his feet jumping back just as the female was about to snap down on his tender flesh. Darcia slashed his sword down at Mahina but the slender wolf quickly dodged his attack leaving the sword to hit the tiled floor so hard it rung. Kiba rejoined the battle leaping clean over Mahina with teeth bared and claws ready. Darcia swung his sword again but this time he connected slashing at the white wolf making the room echo with his yelp of pain and sending a sharp line of red across the floor.

'_Kiba!'_ Mahina looked behind her checking Kiba who had fallen backward from the attack. Her decision proved to be a bad one for almost as soon as she looked away from her opponent his shadow loomed over her. Mahina tensed, she turned back around preparing to snap at Darcia but the noble was too quick and before the she-wolf could do anything she found herself feeling the man's fingers wrapping around her neck before she was lifted off the ground. It was startling how strong this man was; Mahina's wide eyes stared into Darcia's as he held her firmly in the air for a moment allowing her to struggle against his grip in vein before he swung Mahina hard and slammed her hard against the nearest wall forcing a strangled yelp out of the she-wolf.

'_Mahina!'_ Kiba struggled back to his feet.

Mahina couldn't respond even if she had anything to say back to Kiba. Pain skittered up and down the females back like nothing she had felt before at the hands of a human. It spiraled down up her spine and left her stupefied until she began to realize that she couldn't breathe. Darcia still hold of Mahina's throat; he had he pinned to the wall by it and dangling off the ground and slowly his grip became tightly until the she-wolf felt herself beginning to choke. Mahina gasped reaching up and gripping the noble's hand by his wrist and clawing at it the best she could but he showed no sign of feeling anything she dealt him. It was only after a few minutes of struggle that Mahina felt warmth join the pain spreading across her back. There was something warm and wet running down her back where it had hit the wall and the more it ran the weaker Mahina quickly began to feel herself becoming.

Her wounds from their last confrontation, they had reopened.

"It's because of you" Darcia stared hard at Mahina who glared back "you and your kind stole everything from me" the noble's once madden expression was now calm as he took in Mahina tightening his grip when she struggle before he looked to Kiba "and in return you gave me a curse, and grief, and suffering; and my eye transformed into one such as yours. It's the price I paid for being cursed by paradise and now…" Darcia's eyes shift down to Cheza, the flower maiden lay unconscious just below Mahina's feet "all that surrounds me…is despair" the noble spoke raising the sword in the hand that did not hold Mahina and pointing the tip right at Cheza's neck.

"Ch-Cheza" Mahina choked out now trying to pry Darcia's fingers loose from her throat but she could barely do that, she was losing blood fast and was starting to see spots.

'_Don't!'_ Kiba yelled out before the noble could bring his blade even closer to the flower maiden _'what is it? What do you want?'_

Mahina didn't think Darcia would answer, through this all she had thought that he had wanted Cheza. It had been Darcia would suddenly appeared in Freeze City and took Mahina away, it had been his ship that Cheza had escaped from the day the pack had finally met her and it had been Darcia who nearly killed them all to get her back. However it didn't appear as though he had been doing any of this for Cheza at all if he could so easily threaten to kill her. Darcia was silence for a moment before he raised his gaze and locked eyes with Mahina.

"…have you found it?" the question broke the silence in a berating tone "have you found paradise?"

'_We will'_ Kiba answered _'no matter what!'_

"…and what do you expect to find there?"

'…_A future'_ Kiba answered

"…" Darcia's looked Mahina over but the she-wolf could see in his eyes that he was contemplating Kiba's answer. Finally, the noble looked back at Kiba with mild curiosity "a future?" he echoed

'_Not hope'_ Kiba explained _'Or despair; just a future, nothing more.'_

"…" Darcia's gaze lingered on Kiba for a moment longer but eventually he turned back around to face Mahina. His grip lessened a bit allowing Mahina to breathe just a bit and he turned his gaze upward, a look of defeat came to Darcia's face "I no longer have any need…for a…future." The room was tense now and Mahina wasn't sure what could possibly happen next, would Darcia choke the life out of her or would he stab Cheza? Kiba was fast but he wasn't fast enough to save them both, even if he went for Cheza this nobles grip was strong enough to snap Mahina's neck with ease. Whatever happened next it had to happen quick because Mahina's vision was starting to get blurry, she could feel her consciousness slipping from her. She strained herself to look at the white wolf; Kiba's fur was standing on end, his teeth were fully bared and he was growling. The white male tensed up looking to have made his decision but before he could act on it…

_**BANG!**_

A gunshot rung out through the room for a bullet aimed towards Kiba that the white wolf easily dodged leaping out of the way and swinging around to see who had tried to shoot him. Blue's human stood in the doorway of the room with that gun of his trained on Kiba taking a second to cock it before aiming once more. Footsteps echoed down the hall behind him hinting to the wolf hunter having company. To Mahina's surprise Cher suddenly appeared at the door behind the wolf hunter and soon her former husband appeared behind her. The scientist scanned the room but eventually her eyes found Mahina and her situation and grew wide.

"Mahina…" the woman muttered out but she made no attempts to run in and save her- though honestly if she did what could she do- instead she watched. Whatever journey Cher had had after her last run in with Mahina had definitely changed her, the she-wolf could sense it but still…

'_You stupid woman'_ Mahina couldn't help but think to herself because she grew too weak to say it _'You've learned too much, now you can never go back…'_ she wanted to be mad at Cher, to scream at her and scare her away but Mahina's strength was waning, she'd lost too much blood too quickly. The female's eyes were beginning to roll into her head as she gasped for air. This had to be the end, she decided, death was coming for her and she would never see paradise. But, something very different happened from what she expected. Darcia looked behind him at the new arrivals to the room and after a tense silence he lowered his sword and released his grip from Mahina's next. The she-wolf dropped to her feet but eventually slid down to the floor in her weak state smearing blood all over the wall behind her, she inhaled immediately now that her airway was no longer blocked and looked up at the noble. Darcia stared back at her for a moment but then turned away from everyone and walked towards the back of the room. He was no longer a threat to Mahina or Cheza or at least not at the moment. When she could finally breathe steady again Mahina turned her attention back towards the maiden sprawled on the floor beside her, she wasn't moving and Mahina wasn't even sure she was breathing. "Cheza…" the she-wolf spoke out dragging herself the small distance toward the Cheza before pulling the dainty flower into her arms.

"Kiba! Mahina!" Toboe's voice reached Mahina's ears and she looked up to see the pack had caught up to them. Toboe, Hige and Tsume stood at the door while Blue stood in front of Kiba and in the path of her human's shot. The wolf hunter who once had his gun locked on Kiba now lowered it stunned; Mahina could see the disbelief in his eyes for his knew his dog well enough to know that this was Blue.

"…!" Darcia servant, a quietly little woman who had stood to the side through that had happened in the past few minutes, suddenly became alert. The glass orb she held in her hand's let out a sharp noise before lighting up in her hands "My Lord, Darcia!" she alerted her master to some new form of danger but it was much too late for that for the minute the words left her mouth the air was shatter with a screech Darcia had made Mahina all too familiar with. The wall behind the young servant suddenly crumbled and just as she turned towards it a beam of red burst forth and completely devoured her leaving nothing behind of her existence and shaking the keep right down to its foundation. Someone was attacking the keep, it was another noble.

"Mahina!" Kiba yelled out running across the room towards the she-wolf but in another streak of red flashed before his path before exploding in a bright flash. Mahina flinched closing her eyes and turning away from the bright flash hoping that she wouldn't have to relive the terrors of the last time the back dealt with such an attack. The ground shuddered from the on slot of none stop attack and before Mahina knew it the ground under her and Cheza was cracking and abruptly went from horizontal to dangerously slanted. "_**Mahina!**_" Mahina could hear Kiba screaming as she yelled out in surprise. All around her rubble rained down and all Mahina could do was hug Cheza close and protect her from it.

"Mahina…" Mahina looked up to find Cher and her former husband making their way around the rubble towards them.

"Cher…" Mahina said the woman's name weakly "you stupid woman, why didn't you go back?"

"We don't have time to talk" the man spoke kneeling besides Cher and looking between the three before him "we have to hurry"

"…Take her" Mahina strained to say, the she-wolf opened her arms and passed Cheza over to the blonde who stared at her stunned.

"You're giving her back?" Cher questioned bewildered but Mahina shook her head.

"You decided to continue down this path…now you must walk it to the end…" Mahina could barely hold herself up now so every word she said was strained "Take her and run, Cheza is all that matters. ._**Safe**_."

"Cher, come on" the young man besides Cher urged her "this place won't hold up for much longer" but Cher was hesitant and Mahina could see it, there was an odd sort of look in her eyes as she stared down at Mahina. She wasn't sure what it was but it seemed to the she-wolf that Cher had definitely learned something during her travels because she looked at Mahina differently.

"Go" Mahina urged her with a weak nod, Cher returned it passing Cheza on to her former husband before the pair were on their feet again and running for the nearest exit. Within minutes of them disappearing Kiba suddenly appeared leaping over the large slant of floor that had previously separated him from Mahina and Cheza. "Kiba…"

"Mahina" the white wolf was beside her in a heartbeat kneel down before her weakened form, those deep blue eyes looked her over and his nose twitched as he obviously caught the scent of her blood "You're bleeding" he observed before his eyes found the blood on Mahina's back and the wall behind her.

"I'll be okay" Mahina shook her head before motioning to the gap in a wall where Cher had run off with Cheza "that way…Cheza is that way." Kiba looked in the direction while Mahina stopped to catch her breath "She's with that scientist from Freeze city…go before something happens"

"…" but Kiba didn't move to run after Cheza, he hesitated and after what looked like a second of thought turned back to Mahina and moved to lift her off the ground. The she-wolf shook her head and weakly pushed Kiba away.

"Don't worry about be" she said over the loud rumble of the keep "I'll be right behind you, I promise, just go!" still Kiba looked unconvinced but when Mahina fixed him with a stern look he nodded his head and took off through the hole. He must have known Mahina was lying but Cheza was more important, getting Cheza safe was the first priority. Once Kiba was gone Mahina let out a sigh of relief relaxing on the floor despite the chaos around her, she stared down at the floor watching the cracks ground larger and closer to where she was but she felt no fear. As long as Kiba chased Cheza the flower maiden would be safe. The pack could still get to paradise…even if it was without her.

"Scrawny! Hey!" a loud boom exploded somewhere else in the keep but this voice yelled loudly over such noises. Mahina raised her head to see Tsume just barely from between some ruble. The grey wolf looked desperate and he strained himself to try and squeeze the through the space but her was too big so instead he reached out and arm through the open space "Come on! This place is going down we have to get out of here!" the gap… Mahina was small enough to fit through it; a look of hope came to the she-wolf's face.

"Tsume…" she tried to push herself up but her legs simply gave out on her and she fell back to the ground.

"Come on, scrawny, you're tougher than this!" Tsume yelled at her pressing himself harder against the rubble; Mahina was just within reach, if he could just get a grip on her he could yank her out of there. Tsume watched as the female struggled to her hands and knees and began dragging herself closer. That was it, just a bit more "come on" Tsume grunted straining himself the best he could "Come on" Mahina reached up as well unable to drag herself anymore.

"Tsume…" the she-wolf reached

"I've got you" Tsume assured her pushing as much of himself as he could through the space, their fingers were just touching "Come on scrawny!" but then another eerie screech hit their ears and a streak of red flashed across the ground behind Mahina. Tsume's eyes grew wide and for the first time his face went completely pale. No, No, No! "_**MAHINA!**_" the she-wolf's name ripped its way out of Tsume's throat just before an explosion erupted behind Mahina. The last thing he saw of her was the hopefully look on her face, the determination to not die just yet in her eyes before the bright flash of the blast nearly blinded him and the ground shook like nothing before. Tsume had to cover his eyes from the bright light but when he looked back there was nothing left of the space where Mahina once was.

The ground had completely caved in and Mahina was gone.


	15. Our little Paradise

**Thank you to Direngreyrules100, Ocean of my Existence, Blacktiger93, and the two anonymous guest who review the last chapter**

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><p><strong>Chapter XIV:<strong> Our little paradise

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><p>"Kiba!...Mahina!"<p>

It felt like it had been days that they stood around the remains of Darcia's keeps. The noble had left and the humans had disappeared but still they stayed behind long after the chaos had settled and the keep went back to being quiet as a grave.

"Kiba!..." the land echoed with the howl "Mahina!" but no one replied to Toboe's calls no matter how long or loud he did. The pup let out a slight sigh as he lowered his hands from his mouth and took a moment to look over the ruins that surrounded him. He would never forget how the ground trembled under his feet or how the walls caved around Tsume, Hige, and himself as they escaped. The three had escaped just in time before the keep was slowly engulfed in an eye burning, bright light.

When the light had faded the once ominous keep was nothing but a pile of ruined stone.

There was nothing left for them here but the three wolves stayed and they searched for the ones they were missing: Kiba and Mahina. They looked up and down the rubble hoping to find a sign of any of the three but all that remained were old scents and cold trails. Kiba had run off on his own so Toboe couldn't be too sure if he was even in the area still. The only one the pup was certain they'd have to find was Mahina; she had been injured and even for a wolf like her moving around would prove to be a task.

Tsume was the last one to see the female but he… he wouldn't talk about where she might be.

"…" Toboe gained a sullen look at the memory of Tsume's silence. Could it be that Mahina had… she had lost so much blood even if Toboe hadn't seen it he definitely smelt it. There was no way she got out of the keep on her own. Mahina might have…might have… "…no" Toboe mumbled shaking his head, Mahina was strong she was okay Toboe knew it "…Kiba! Mahina!"

But the long day passed by into night and eventually Toboe could howl no more. Eventually they had to move on because sticking around that place would change nothing for any of them. Toboe was reluctant to leave but he followed after Tsume and Hige with feelings of defeat. Night came shortly after their departure and with the night came a light, but chilling snow. Now that they weren't going at Kiba's pace Toboe was able to completely realize just how tired and ache he was. It was strange, normally the moon helped diminish wounds and sores but ever since that noble had taken Cheza away it had been doing it less and less, now it almost like the moon was taking energy away from him. Still Toboe pushed on with Tsume and Hige leading the way.

"They're gone…" Toboe broke the silence with a sullen voice "Why can't we find them?"

"Listen" Hige glanced back at Toboe briefly before looking ahead again "we looked for them everywhere we could"

"But they…they couldn't be…"

"Maybe they are, they might not have made it…" Hige's words did nothing but add to the gloomy air around the trio, not even Toboe could think of something to say in response but it was the truth. They didn't find anything, no matter how hard they searched there was no sign that Kiba or Mahina had escaped. Maybe Hige was right, maybe they were dead. Toboe didn't want to accept it but maybe it was true. Suddenly the gloomy silence was broken by the sound of Tsume scuffing; the grey wolf spun on his heel and marched back the way they had come from.

"Tsume, where are you going?" questioned Hige

"To look for them again" Tsume answered never stopping in his determined march.

"What's the point?" Hige called after him "you won't find anything, even their scents are gone" it was in these words Tsume seemed to see some reason for he stopped.

Tsume had been acting strange ever since they'd left the keep and Toboe could only assume it was because of Mahina. Of the three of them Tsume was the last one to see Mahina alive, one would think this is a good thing because then they'd be able to find the slender female or at least figure out where she went but Tsume wouldn't talk about it. When Toboe had first asked Tsume, the older male simply declared that Mahina had run off behind Kiba and said nothing more even under further questioning. Hige didn't believe him and if Toboe was being honest with himself he didn't either. The pup had been there nest to that wall of ruble as Tsume tried to squeeze through the hole and get Mahina out, he heard the weakness in Mahina's voice and the sounds of her dragging herself across the floor Toboe heard the way Tsume, for the first time, screamed Mahina's name out and the ground shaking explosion that followed. There was really only one conclusion to come to and that was that Mahina had perished in that nobles attack, and yet Tsume was going back.

"I give up" Hige broke the silence, with a tired sigh he turned his back to Toboe and Tsume "It's hopeless"

"Give up on what?" questioned Tsume

"Paradise" Hige answered shortly "I don't give a damn anymore" Toboe stood a bit straighter at this comment. Sure Hige wasn't as enthusiastic about the whole thing as say Kiba or Mahina, most of the time he seemed more interested in chasing girls and eating, but Hige was always onboard to keep going so long as everyone was safe. What was Hige saying?

"What are you saying" questioned Tsume as if reading Toboe's mind.

"I'm saying count me out" Hige answered

"What?" Toboe yelped out "you can't be serious!"

"I was never really interested in going to paradise in the first place" Hige grumbled with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.

"Really" challenged Tsume "and you always seem so happy to be with us?

"If I had never met them, none of this would have happen to me" Hige replied in that same grumble of a tone as before. Tsume didn't reply at first, silent agreement hung in the air.

"You're right" Tsume hummed as if this were all some kind of funny joke "If they hadn't shown up in the city I don't think any of us would have left."

"Things were a lot easier, that's for sure" Hige remarked

"Yea, except we were _pathetic_ back then" Tsume spat

"We'' we're pretty _pathetic_ out here too" snapped Hige angrily

"Come on guys… cut it out would you?" Toboe's voice was weak when he tried to reason with his two comrades. The pup sank to his knees exhausted "isn't it bad enough that our bodies are totally wrecked? Why does everybody have to fight about everything, arguing and stealing from each other all the time?" his whole journey had been nothing but fighting since day one: humans fighting other humans and wolves fighting humans and wolves fighting amongst themselves. Maybe Toboe was too young to understand the workings of life but for now Toboe just couldn't see why they all find some way of getting along with each other why was it so hard? "I mean" the pup went on to say "it's a big enough world. Why can't we share it?...wolves and humans and birds…and _flowers_ living together as equals" Toboe sighed looking to the grey sky above them "If we all got to paradise that's how it would be wouldn't it?"

Hige didn't respond, neither did Tsume leaving Toboe to sit and contemplate his own question in silence. The surrounding area wasn't silent however; it was broken by a loud yelp of a noise followed by the muffled 'thump' of a body hitting the snowy ground just beside where Toboe knelt. The pup yelped tumbling sideways away from the new arrival while Tsume and Hige spun around giving their attention with readiness to kill. It didn't take the cloud of snow long to settles so luckily no one had to wait very long to quickly realize that their new company was far from a threat.

"It's… It's a girl" Toboe observed

Indeed it was, a tiny thing perhaps matching Toboe in size from what the trio could see. She groaned pushing herself up and shaking snow out of her long, black hair and her shabby looking coat. It took her a moment but eventually the girl noticed that she wasn't alone. When she raised her head Toboe got the chance to look right into the two deep emerald pools that were the young girl's eyes and almost immediately a blush came to his cheeks.

"Are you… are you okay?" Toboe found his voice inching a bit closer as the girl pushed herself to her feet and brushed snow off the rest of her body. "Are you lost?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing" the girl replied pleasantly looking from Toboe to Tsume and Hige "this isn't really a tourist area…actually its noble territory-" the young girl stopped in the middle of her sentence deciding instead to take in a sharp breath "that's right!" she seemed to recall something "It's not safe for you here!"

"Not safe?" Toboe echoed, the young girl nodded her head.

"I saw noble ships not long ago, ships from Lady Jagura's fleet. She's none too kind-in fact I've heard she's _vicious_" the young girl explained enthusiastically to Toboe who nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"But if it's not safe… then what are you doing here?"

"Ah! Well I'm collecting herbs for…" and so the two conversed on as if there were no troubles in the world for them to worry about. As they talked, however, Tsume couldn't help but stare at the girl in great curiosity. Both Tsume and Hige watched with stern faces as the two children chattered on while picking up the herbs that the young girl had dropped in her slip and fall.

"Hige" Tsume addressed the chubby male

"Hm"

"Do you smell that?"

"…" Hige's nose twitched and he nodded "Yea…that's defiantly an interesting scent"

"Why don't all of you come back with me?" the young girl spoke cheerfully turning to Hige and Tsume once all she had collected was back in the basket she carried "It's almost suppertime and you all look pretty tired"

"Well if you put it that way-" Hige perked at the mention of food

"We wouldn't want to intrude" Tsume interrupted "We have to get moving anyway"

"You wouldn't be intruding at all" the girl smiled "we have plenty of room for all of you and besides…" the girl looked up to the darkening sky "The snow is starting to get heavy, at this rate it might storm…"

She had a point but her scent definitely bothered Tsume so even though Hige and Toboe stepped closer to the girl the grey wolf stayed rooted to his spot,

"Come on Tsume" Hige remarked "It's late, we're tired and hungry"

"We can figure out what we'll do in the morning" Toboe added hopefully "can't we just rest?"

"…" Tsume said nothing continuing to stare hard at the young girl who simply smiled back pleasantly; it was as is she wasn't inviting three complete strangers over for dinner to her.

"I'm not asking you to move in" chirped the green eyed girl "I'm only offering you a moment of rest… I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I didn't help you all" all the while she talked a pleasant smile stayed on her face and though Tsume looked hard for it the grey male saw no malice of ill-intent in the girl's eyes. She was sincere.

"…one night" Tsume gave in "that's all"

"Of course" the young girl nodded her head then turned away from the trio "this way" she motioned "I'm staying in a little chapel just north of here"

The walk to this little chapel was a short one but one full of chatter. Toboe took the front walking in step with their young host and talking about all sorts of things with her. Hige remarked once that the pup's talking was obnoxious but the girl they followed stated that she didn't mind. She didn't see many people, she explained, and the person she traveled with didn't talk much.

"He doesn't?" questioned Toboe

"No" the girl shook her head "Cole likes to keep to himself most of the time, so I get a little lonely sometimes"

"We have a friend like that too" Toboe said "he was traveling with us and he never really talked much"

"I see, perhaps your friend would get along well with Cole" the girl remarked with a giggle and Toboe chuckled his agreement though Tsume was like that too and he never seem to get along with Kiba that well "so where is your friend now?"

"Huh?" Toboe was pulled from his thoughts at the question.

"Well, you said that he _was_ traveling with you meaning that he isn't anymore" the girl observed smartly "did something happen?"

"Oh well… we got separated" Toboe answered sullenly, the girl walking with him quickly caught on that the subject was touché; she breathed a quiet 'oh' and turned her focus forward.

"I…never stopped to ask you your name" a moment later the girl was back to being her ever cheerful-self offering Toboe a smile that brought a blush back to the pup's face.

"My names Toboe" Toboe introduced himself just as the little chapel came into view "back there is Tsume and Hige"

"It's an honor to meet you all" the young girl hummed stopping before the chapel steps and turning to face them "my name is Reina"

* * *

><p>Reina's home was an old, little chapel that had fallen to ruin where weeds and wild vines had taken over the yard and walls. The roof had either been destroyed or caved in and what was still standing of it had been worn down from the weather and age. All and all the place was old and if it had stood as glorious example of human architecture any point of time since its construction that day had long since pasted along with everyone but this human girl.<p>

Completely unaware of the true nature of her company, Reina lead the three through the ruined chapel, to a back room and down into what was once a cellar but had been remolded for the little human's needs.

"I-I don't have much" Reina said once they entered the room. She set her basket down at the door and hurried farther in "but please make yourselves at home" one by one Reina began lighting candles in the room allowing more of the room to be seen. She had been right, there really wasn't much to behold in her little home. There were a bundle of old blankets in a far corner of the room where he girl must sleep and in another corner were stacks of boxes and old chairs and next to that sat bags that must have been from traveling. When all the candles were lit Reina moved on to what looked like an old mini furnace that sat by the only window in the room, she quickly went to work on getting a fire started "I'll get supper started and Cole should be back soon" the girl smiled brightly to the three before turning to the furnace and getting started. As expected, Hige was the first to get comfortable dropping into one of the old chairs and sighing with content. Toboe followed suit soon after but Tsume remained standing.

This whole thing made him uneasy, what was a human child doing out here on her own inviting strangers for supper of all things! Reina had said the land around Darcia's keep was dangerous but than what had she been doing over there? Then there was this scent, the one Hige deemed interesting, it had been faint when they first met the girl but it was a whole lot stronger here- it practically dominated the room. Tsume didn't trust the situation at all.

"So, Reina" Toboe broke the silence in the room.

"Hm?" Reina hummed out, she was slipping off her coat while she waited for the fire to grow. She wore a white short sleeve shirt over a long sleeve black one, both were covered in holes. The rest of her long black hair, which had been tucked into her coat, revealed its length to be down to the girl's waist held together in a tatter cloth that must have been a ribbon at one point. The girl ran her hands down her long black skirt before she kneeled before the furnace to check the fire.

"What are you doing out here all on your own?" Toboe asked

"Well I lost my mom and dad when I was young" Reina explained calmly poking the flames with a stick "but I'm not all alone, I have Cole" the young girl offered her company a bright smile despite the curious look she was given in return "Cole's been taking care of me" Reina explained "I wouldn't be here if not for him…"

Of course no one said anything in response to the girl's words, what could they say? But this Cole person Reina kept talking about, he was certainly someone Tsume was curious to meet. He had to be much older that this girl if he's been raising her since she was young/ a brother perhaps? But that wouldn't explain this scent not in the least bit. He would have to wait and see and the waiting itself wasn't that long either. Moments later the sound of footsteps echoed from above and the scent of blood from a fresh hunt lingered in the air.

"Someone's coming" Toboe said looking up at the ceiling

"That must be Cole" Reina mused happily hurrying to the door as the new guest made his way down the stairs. The scent…it was over bearing now.

"Hige" Tsume remarked

"Yes" Hige already knew

"What is it?" Toboe mused curiously but before Tsume or Hige could explain the door to the room opened.

"You're back: Reina was practically bouncing on her toes with joy at the arrival of her companion and in the candle lit room Tsume could take in Cole's human features well enough.

Cole was tall, three heads taller than the young girl before him, with a white button up shirt and black pants. Among the shaggy mess that was his black hair Tsume met golden eyes. Cole stared down at Reina for a second but then his nose twitched and he noticed Reina wasn't alone in the room. Whatever he held dropped to the ground with a slight splat and Cole tensed up.

"Reina!" he barked out gripping the girl's shoulder and shoving her behind him "Get back!"

"Wha-Cole!" Reina stumbled gripping the door for support.

"Well what do you know…" Tsume mused staring at the one named Cole who bared teeth at the trio of wolves.

"It all makes sense now" Hige nodded his head in agreement "why a human girl could smell like a wolf"

"A wolf?" Toboe echoed confused but when he looked at Cole closely he saw it. Cole was a wolf matching Tsume in size with a pitch black coat and burning red eyes and right now he stood in a position that said he was ready to attack anyone who came close.

"Who are you three?" Cole demanded "and what is your purpose here?"

"Cole please" Reina tried to reason with the male

"Reina, stay back" Cole looked back and sent Reina a stern look.

"Look, we don't want any trouble here" Hige spoke up holding his hands up in defense when Cole growled at him "We're just passing through"

"Yes, passing through looking for a fresh kill no doubt" retorted Cole

"Fresh kill?" Toboe repeated

"Cole please, listen" Reina tried again gripping the male's arm in hopes of earning his attention.

"Look" Tsume didn't have the patience for this at the moment "We didn't come to kill you human. She invited us here"

"Don't spout lies to me" Cole snarled "she wouldn't invite strangers into our home unless she was tricked"

"Hey no one was tricked here!" Hige jumped in

"Yea, Reina insisted" Toboe added

"Enough of your lies!" Cole barked "I don't know where the rest of your pack is but I won't let any of you hurt Reina" the young girl frowned deeply at these words "I'll kill you, _all_ of you"

"Is that a threat?" Tsume arched a brow before smirking. It had been a while since Tsume had a good fright.

"It's a promise" Cole declared and that was all Tsume needed to get him started, but as the grey wolf let out a snarl of his own Reina spoke up.

"No Cole!" the young human pushed past Cole and stepped between him and the trio dropping to her knees almost immediately "you mustn't Cole"

"Reina _move_" snarled Cole "do you have any idea what these three are?!"

"Of course I do!" Reina replied

"You do?" Toboe could hardly cover his surprise at the revelation. Those pretty green eyes knew the truth, she could see past the illusion. Reina looked back at Toboe and nodded her head.

"And that is why you _must_ stop" the girl turned back to Cole "you are kin! Sent to us by the Great Spirit! The world is freezing, the Great Spirit calls you home to paradise but its gates will not open if you fight amongst yourselves and show you are unworthy! You must stop…"

"What the hell is she rambling on about?" remarked a bewildered Hige

"Hige" Toboe gaped "she knows about paradise"

"When ends the world the wolf shall seek paradise" the four wolves watched stunned as Reina brought her hands close to her and dropped her head in what looked to be prayer as if she quietly prayed that there would be no fight and there wouldn't be. At the sight of Reina knelt in prayer Cole relaxed dropping his offensive position in turn making Tsume relax.

"So say the book of Red Moon…"

"We come from a village very far south of here."

When the tense air had settled between everyone the supper Reina had been cooking was finished and quickly eaten until nothing remained of it. It was while the five sat by the fire of the furnace letting their meal settle in their stomachs that our trio learned that Reina had always been able to see the true forms of wolves, that it was her birthright. Toboe curiously questioned what they meant by birthright and it was them as Reina dozed off in Coles' arms, that he trio heard the tale of Cole the wolf and Reina Lumeria.

"A long time ago my pack lived in harmony with that village. The villagers worshiped us like gods and in return we granted each family one of our own for protection" the black wolf looked down at the young girl who sleepily gazed back at him and smiled "the Lumeria family was my charge"

"So Reina, when you said Cole had been taking care of you since you were little you meant…" Toboe trailed off but Reina seemed to understand for she nodded.

"Cole was given to my family when I was a baby" she answered happily "he was so small back then" she added with a giggle

"But then one day the village was attacked" Cole went on with his tale "a wild fire swept across the land and the village burned to the ground"

"A fire" Tsume murmured to himself, just like Kiba, just like Mahina. Cole nodded.

"My pack- the ones who weren't immediately trapped- managed to escape but at the price of abandoning their charges" by now Reina had fallen asleep in his arms, the wolf smiled fondly and brushed hair out of her face before lifting the girl up and carrying her over to the bundles of blankets of the other side of the room "I was only able to save Reina from such a fate…"

"Did you ever find out what attacked your village?" Hige questioned, it was something they were all curious to know. Cole nodded his head again.

"The nobles" he answered with venom in his voice as he returned to where he had been sitting before "They set fire to every house that sheltered a wolf without mercy for the humans within. They didn't care so long as we were eradicated."

"Even the humans?" Toboe gasped in horror

"We did all we could to save the humans who had been trapped" Cole went on to say sadly "but eventually the decision was made to escape while we still could."

"So then what now?" Tsume questioned

"My pack-long before this happen- had planned for such situations" Cole explained calmly "there is a tribe of natives we once took refuge with a long time ago. In case we had to flee our home we were to return to them. They have taken my pack in-or so I've heard. So, I am taking Reina there." there was quiet acknowledgment of the black wolf's plans for himself and his human girl. The group soon fell into a calm silence after the tale was told and each wolf was left to their own thoughts, it was like this for a while before anyone decided to speak. "What about you?" Cole's eyes scanned over the trio that sat before him "What are you doing in these parts if you aren't with a bigger pack"

"We were bigger" Toboe jumped in before Tsume or Hige could deflect the question "we were in the keep when it was attacked and we got separated from our friends and we're looking for them now"

"Your friends?" Cole spoke curiously Toboe nodded meekly

"Yes" he confirmed "they're names are Kiba and Mahina"

"It's safe to assume that the both of you have been here for a while now" Tsume spoke up with his arms crossed "did you see the attack on the keep"

"I did" answered Cole

"Did you see anything after?" Tsume questioned on "the two wolves we're looking for, they might have gone off after the nobles. Did you see anybody running from the keep after it was attacked?"

"…" for a while Cole didn't answer the question; he stared down at his lap shaking his head "I wish I could help you but no, I saw nothing of the sort"

"….oh…" Toboe sighed hanging his head, so maybe Kiba and Mahina really did…

"….I saw him" her voice was soft but the four wolves in the room were able to hear it nonetheless. Toboe looked up and was surprised to find that Reina was not only awake again but looming over the four wolves though none of them had heard the girl stir from her sleep or move across the room. Reina met eyes with Toboe but they were glazed over, it was almost like she wasn't looking at him at all. "He was running from the keep as fast as he possibly could, the wolf with fur as white as snow"

"Fur white as snow" Toboe let the description process before he realized what she said "you mean you saw Kiba?"

"What direction were they heading?" Tsume prompted the girl to go on while a look of shock and terror crossed Cole's face.

"You went to Darcia's keep?" the black wolf spoke obviously trying hard not to raise his voice at the young, human girl "Reina I specifically told you never to go near that place, it's _dangerous_!" but Reina made no motion or sounds that she had heard him or was acknowledging him, her big eyes gazed up at the window over their heads.

"South" Reina answered Tsume "the ships were heading south and he followed them"

The pack fell into silence after the human's words, quietly mulling over the news given to them. White wolves were pretty rare even when they hadn't been on verge of extinction so it was probably safe to assume that this white wolf that Reina had seen was most likely Kiba which meant he was alive

"Is… Is Kiba all you saw?" Toboe broke the silence first with a hopeful look to his eyes "She'd be really slender with black and white fur. Her name is Mahina"

"I didn't see anyone else "Reina replied with a light shake of her head "just the white one"

"…oh" Toboe's expression fell

"Reina…" Cole held the girl by her forearms and turned her to face him "Why would you disobey me like that? You know those nobles are dangerous"

"I had to" replied Reina softly, her glazed eyes slowly becoming clearer "I had to be there as witness"

"A…witness?" echoed the wolf confused, Reina nodded

"To the white wolf" she explained "so that his pack may know…"

"…South huh?" Hige mutter before another silence could envelope the room, the chubby male sighed sitting back in his seat "well… it's a weak lead but… it's one none the less…"

"So you'll head south?" Reina questioned and when she was given no objections she assumed it was so "We'll go with you"

"You will?"

"We will be heading south as well" Cole nodded his head "The tribe we've been tracking were heading in that direction, we can all leave tomorrow at first light"

The five took rest in that chapel shortly after this conversation but Toboe, as he lay by the dying fire, found that for most of the night sleep would not come to him. He spent the beginning of the night worrying about his lost friends: What happen to Blue? Where did Kiba run off to? And Mahina, was she okay? Did she survive? So many questions left to be unanswered but, oddly as it sounds, it was okay- at least for the moment- for as the night ticked on and the wind howled outside many other thoughts crossed the young wolf's mind.

Toboe lay on his side and stared at the curious pair known as Reina and Cole. When the large, black male was ready to go to sleep he curled up in that big pile of rags and blankets and Reina didn't hesitate to welcome his presence allowing him to curl around her frame and snuggled deep into his fur until Toboe could barely make out her face among the sea of black.

A human and a wolf traveling together- supporting each other; it was a scenario some would find unlikely and most would be disgusted by.

But not Toboe.

The copper pup smiled slightly to himself at the pair for theirs was an existence Toboe had always wanted to see between the two species. That would be paradise to him, a place where all living creatures were equal and no one lived in fear and no one suffered.

The sight of the two quickly and effortlessly eased Toboe's restless mind and finally he was visited by sleep that took him like the rest of them and for the first time a peaceful and resting sleep came to the pup.

At the first ray of sunlight, just as Cole had said, the group was awake and ready to go. Reina had very little to pack- for the sake of light and fast travel she left quite a bit behind. Toboe had asked her about such things but she when she made no sound that she was bothered the pup let it go and they were off with Reina riding atop Cole's back like he was some sort of horse.

They didn't get far before they made their first stop, actually it was roughly around the same area that the gang first met Reina. Suddenly Toboe stopped running.

"Hey guys" he called to the others "Wait" he turned his nose to the air taking in this scent that stopped him.

"…what is it?" Tsume asked from the front of the pack but Toboe couldn't put his finger on it. He wasn't sure what it was but the pup was almost certain he caught this scent once or twice before.

"I'm not sure but it's a familiar scent" Toboe answered Tsume.

"A scent?" he wanted the pup to elaborate but Toboe was too focused on finding the source of his curiosity to do so.

Breaking away from the group the pup made his way over towards the scent with the others trailing behind him. What they found lay in a little dip in the snowy land covered in a light layer of white but it took very little time and effort to realize who this was.

"It's him again" Tsume remarked recognizing the scent

"Him?" Cole echoed looking over the unconscious human curiously, his nose twitched as he took in the old man's scent.

"The old man is some kind of wolf hunter" Hige explained with a hint of bitterness in his tone. The old geezer almost killed Mahina after all "He's been chasing us for I don't know how long"

"Is he… dead?" Reina questioned in a soft voice, tentatively she pressed her body close to Cole's never taking her eyes off the unmoving man.

Only Toboe moved to check.

"… His body is almost frozen" the copper pup announced upon closer inspection of the old wolf hunter Blue called 'pops'.

"Just leave him" Hige turned away from the sight without even a sign of remorse.

"Leave him here to die?" Reina looked to Hige with a look of utter astonishment "But he's…"

"It's what he deserves" Hige remarked coldly

"How can you say that knowing how important he is to Blue" Toboe shot Hige's back a look but his tone of disappointment fell on deaf ears "It we don't do something he's going to die" still Hige didn't move nor did he show any sign that he might any time soon proving how very little he cared for the half dead human. Toboe sighed turning his gaze back to the human "…we couldn't do anything to save Blue either… don't you remember?"

Blue was a sensitive topic for Hige, Toboe knew that. Still he mentioned their inability to save her from the chaos with hopes that if Hige really cared about blue he'd find it in his heart to help the human who raised her. Toboe knew the risks of bringing up such a sensitive subject especially when it was so fresh in all of their minds, that's why he wasn't surprised when Hige reacted the way that he did when Toboe had decided to bring it up.

The pup heard Reina gasp just before he was jerked to his feet by the front of his shirt right before Hige slugged him hard in the face.

"Toboe!" the girl yelped as Toboe was sent tumbling away from everyone. "Please, don't!"

"Would you _stop it!_" Tsume remarked angrily yanking Hige back by the collar round his neck when he moved to continue his attack.

"There's no use taking your frustration out on each other" Cole commented stepping between the feuding pack while Reina helped Toboe stumble back to his feet. Hige easily yanked himself free of Tsume's grip though he didn't move to continue his assault.

"…" The chubby male sent an angry look to all those around before grumbling to himself "We're looking for Kiba right?" Hige snapped "then let's go" with that said the ember wolf turned away from the scene and began the walk south where Reina claimed to have seen Kiba go.

"Reina" Cole spoke the girls name and she perked at the sound of it "Let's go"

"…" Reina looked at the half frozen old man for a moment then at Toboe "Right…" she nodded and quickly was beside Cole before the two turned away in union.

"Toboe" Tsume called for the pup who now stared at Blue's human.

"Why don't you go ahead" Toboe replied looking back at the slowly retreating group. Hige didn't stop walking and neither did Cole but Reina stopped and stared over her shoulder at Toboe curiously "I'll catch up" the pup assure the girl when they met eyes.

"Don't come crying to me when he wakes up and shoots you" Hige called over his shoulder with little remorse.

"…hey…" Tsume hadn't moved from his spot nor did he ease the stern look he was fixing Toboe with.

"… hey…" Tsume hadn't moved from his spot nor did he ease the stern look he was fixing Toboe with.

"Just go on" Toboe insisted making it obvious he had no plans to leave the wolf hunter to die.

"Toboe…" Reina couldn't help but stare fondly at the pup

"Don't get too attached" Tsume warned the pup without even trying to change his mind "He's a human after all…"

* * *

><p>So the three remaining wolves and their human companion continued on leaving Toboe to whatever fate lay waiting for him in response to his act of kindness. Before any of them knew it, snow was surrendering to sand and the chilly air became just a bit warmer though Reina was the only one relieved that this was so since she lacked fur to keep her warm like Cole or Tsume or Hige. It was as open plain became a series of plateaus that Hige grew curious of the little human girl and her wolf guardian.<p>

"Say… Reina" Hige glanced back at the girl "Last night, that stuff you were muttering when Cole and Tsume were going to fight…"

"Yes?" Reina urged the chubby male to speak on

"Well I was wondering …what was that?" Hige finally asked

"Oh those" Reina smiled "those were prayers"

"Prayers?" Tsume echoed looking back with slight interest now.

"Mhm" the young girl nodded

"I tell you now the words of Red Moon" Cole recited casually as the group strolled along "From the Great Spirit was born a wolf and man became its messenger"

"Back home, our towns older families held firm to the belief of paradise" Reina explained offering the black wolf beside her an affectionate gaze "That wolves were the blessing of the Great Spirit that created us all and that one day we would be beckoned home so says the Book of the Red Moon"

"You both keep that that" Hige noticed "but what is it, this Book of The Red Moon"

"It's sacred text" Reina explained "passed down from generations by the very first wolf to walk this earth. It's said that the book chronicles the steps needed for paradise to begin calling and the world to end but…" suddenly Reina fell silent and a sullen look came to her face.

"But?" Tsume urged

"The sacred text, The Book of the Red Moon" Cole picked up where Reina stopped "was taken from us… by _Nobles_" the last word was pat with absolute venom.

"Unlike most humans, Nobles have abandoned all connection to the Great Spirit" Reina spoke sadly "they forgot their origin and saw the book as nothing but a tool to rule over us all and it's caused a great imbalance" the young girl frowned on look over the barren landscape that they passed "So I believe paradise is beginning to call…"

"Do you really believe crap like that" Tsume look the young girl over with a raised eyebrow. How could she talk so confidently about not only something she didn't know was real but something that, if real, she could never enter?

"I do" Reina didn't hesitate to nod "the words of Red Moon are what lead me to that fallen keep yesterday. It's because of it I can see your true form" the girls green orbs found Tsume's golden ones and for a second The grey wolf felt like she was staring into his soul and suppressed a shudder "and when I saw your friend…the white wolf… I _knew_ it was all true"

"What makes Kiba so damn important" Tsume questioned on

"The first wolf born from the Great Spirit was white" Cole elaborated "and it's said that when paradise _does_ open that it will be at the will of a white wolf"

"the fact still stands that it's useless to keep looking for him" Hige jumped back into the conversation and easily changed the subject back to their main objective "I mean" he went on to say "do we go back and search the keep again or go past those huge mountains and look for him there" sighing loudly the chubby male slumped his shoulders and what must be defeat "Either way we don't know if he's even alive"

"…" for a moment no one said anything. They were grasping at straws following Reina's lead after all but amongst the silence Tsume found the will to snicker "I had no idea you were so worried about that Blue chic"

"Hey!" Hige shot Tsume a nasty look "What do you mean? I haven't said a word about her"

"It's because you haven't said a word that proves it" Tsume chuckled back

"It's _not_ like that-" Hige began to argue but an eerie sound pierced the air and though Reina's feeble human ears couldn't pick up quite as well her Wolf company could.

Cole easily took Reina off her feet before she could question why they had stopped walking and the four quickly took cover in the cliffs they walked among as a large black ship hovered overhead.

"those are the same guys who brought down Darcia's keep" Tsume observed as it floated over where they hid and eventually flew passed "which ever Noble they work for they're too strong for us to fight"

"It's Jagura" Reina breathed watching the ship as she clung to Cole

"Jagura?" Tsume looked to the girl while Hige nodded in agreement

"They must be hers" he agreed "She's the ruling Noble to the south"

"How do you know" inquired Cole

"I just… heard the name is all" Hige shrugged

"Jagura…" when the air no longer rang with the sound of the ship Tsume stepped out into the open and continued to watch it as it grew smaller with distance "That's what that human in the last town said. He made it sound like she was collecting wolves"

"But why would she want to do that?" Reina furrowed her brow

"Who knows" Tsume answered "But I don't think it's for anything good"

Just as the airship became barely visible and its eerie ring faint a familiar howl shot out though the air making everyone look behind them where it had come from.

"A howl" Reina remarked

"That sounded like the runt" Hige noted visibly tensing, did that old bastard really wake up and shoot Toboe? Hige looked to Tsume and the two nodded before taking off back the way they had come from.

"Reina, stay here and stay hidden" Cole barked out before quickly following after the two males.

They found Toboe and his assailants not far from where they left Reina. The pup was unharmed but currently he was being circled by two humans riding horses. Cole quickly raced ahead charging the nearest horse and snapping at its feet to startle it. The horse neighed loudly lifting up to it hind legs and throwing its rider to the ground. Hige arrived as this was happening and pounced the human before he could recover from his fall. Tsume arrived next leaping into the air and tackling the other human clean off his horse and to the ground with a loud grunt.

"Guys…" Toboe openly sighed a loud breath of relief

"Are you okay Toboe?" Cole turned to the pup who nodded his head

"Are you one of Jagura's flunkies?" Tsume had a blade to the neck of the human he tackled "why is she after us? What the _hell_ does she want?" but the human appeared confused by the questions directed at him.

"Jagura?" he echoed flinching briefly when Tsume inched his blade closer to the human's neck/

"…wait Tsume" Cole spoke approached the grey wolf and getting a better look at the human being threatened. This human didn't look like the solider of a noble… in fact he looked like- "Tsume _don't_!" Cole barked out realizing who this was.

"Back off!" Tsume sent the black wolf a glare before turning back to the human "she's capturing wolves and I want to know why?"

"…capturing…. Ha…hahaha" the humans confused expression turned to a look of realization and then quickly amusement and before any of the four wolves knew it he was…laughing?

"Why are you laughing!?" squeaked Toboe from where he sat "What's so funny?"

"If you guys are wolves you should have said so in the first place" the human snickered out not at all bothered by the confused looks he was given "that's just great" he sighed "the elder's gonna have my hide for this one…"

* * *

><p>The human turned out to be a member of the tribe Cole had mentioned the day before. The one who had attacked Toboe, after realizing they were wolves, was quick to apologize for doing so and introduced himself as Ike. With all the confusion, thankfully, out of the way Reina was picked up and the steadily growing group made the journey back to the tribe's camp grounds.<p>

"Again, I'm sorry about all of that" from his horse Ike apologized again "you see, some of our friend were attacked last night and we just assumed it was you"

"Well it _wasn't_" snapped Tsume

"It couldn't have been us" Reina was quick to defend the pack "we were nowhere near this area last night"

"I know" Ike looked over his shoulder at the young girl sitting on his horse with him, when Reina looked at him doubtfully Ike offered her a reassuring smile "It couldn't have been wolves, for one thing they used guns" Ike explained turning his attention ahead as they neared camp "besides" he went on "we of the Mon tribe believe in wolves, in their existence and their spirit"

"Some people believed that the Lumaerias were once a part of the Mon tribe" Cole spoke up earning a curious look from Toboe "but while passing an area ruled by wolves some of the tribe decided to stay thus created the town both myself and Reina were born in"

"It's possible" Reina mused with a smile on her face "our teachings and stories are very much alike at their core. Especially our belief in the spirit of the wolf"

"Yes" Ike nodded his head; he slowed to a stop just as they arrived at the camp.

The Mon tribes' camp was nothing particularly grand in structure. The dry desert plain was littered with tents constructed out of animal skins and sticks looking easy to build and even easier to take down making them good for traveling. Animals and humans alike moved about this camp as if they had no troubles in the world.

"Everyone lives here?" questioned Toboe as he took in the peaceful camp they now found themselves in "together I mean"

"Yea" Ike answered as he climbed off his horse" we travel as a unit"

"Wow"

"Is that so unusual?" it was obvious by his tone that Ike found Toboes awe of the situation amusing among other things. After he helped Reina back to level ground Ike turned and smiled at Toboe "we live together by treating everything as equally as the next- horse and dogs and humans…"

Toboe couldn't help but offer Ike his still awed expression. After all that the pup had gone through the very idea of all walks of life coming together and living in absolute peace seemed like nothing but a distant dream even more unrealistic than paradise.

But here it was, right before Toboes eyes.

The pup hung back as everyone trailed after Ike where ever he was going. With the human's words still in his head Toboe took the camp in with a whole different perspective. When he thought of paradise this was what came to mind for him and the fact that something like what he hoped for actually existed in the world was a heartwarming thing.

With a group like this why would Toboe even consider going on with a journey where all he did was get in everyone's way… but that wasn't something to be thinking right now. Toboe quickly shook his head of the negative thoughts and hurried after the others before he could lose track of them.

When he found everyone again they were watching as Ike kneeled before two young girls tending to a dog.

"So" Ike mused running a hand over the dogs head "How's he doing?"

"Much better" one girl chirped with a bright smile on her face "he stopped whimpering"

"And he drank a whole bunch of milk just a while ago" informed the other

"He did?" questioned Ike and the young girls giggled nodding their heads in confirmation before running off happily.

"Is he one of your friends that was attacked?" Tsume questioned once the children were out of sight and the group was left to observe the dog.

"I don't know if they were poachers or what, they just hurt the dogs and left" Ike explained never taking his eyes off the dog. The poor canine seemed to enjoy Ike's attention and wagged its tail to indicate so "this one kept fighting up into the very end"

"We know who might have done this… that old human" Tsume deliberated

"But it couldn't have been him!" Toboe didn't hesitate to defend Blue's human and Reina was quick to back him up

"He was half frozen when we found him this morning" the young girl spoke calmly looking the injured dog over "and besides…he was in roughly the same area we were in, he would be too far to have injured the dogs here"

"If he's a wolf hunter that's been chasing you guys for as long as you claim, he must be able to know the difference between a dog and a wolf" was Coles contribution to the conversation.

"It they confused the dogs for wolves than maybe…" Hige trailed off looked to Tsume who nodded his head in agreement

"Jagura" Tsume declared

"She might be killing anything she can get her hands on" Hige summed up "even if it just looks like a wolf"

"Cole" Toboe turned to the male "Do you think that perhaps this… Jagura is the Noble that attacked your town?"

"I couldn't be certain" Cole shook his head and frowned deeply "I was about as young as you when it happen and Reina was too little to remember what happen"

"Besides" Reina spoke up "there were many Nobles fighting for power when the attack happened, a lot who were destroyed over the years… it's unlikely that it was Jagura"

"Unlikely, but possible" Ike corrected her pushing himself to his feet "You said the name Lumeria before, are you from that family?" this question was directed to Cole who shook his head

"No" he denied "I'm a part of the pack that lived with their towns' people… Reina is my charge" Cole place an affectionate hand on Reina's head and she smiled in response.

"I'm Reina Lumeria" she introduced herself

"Yes, Lumeria" Ike nodded "our elder has mentioned that name, you're one of us"

"We came looking for Coles pack" Reina motioned to herself and Cole "A crow told us they travel with your tribe"

"We _did_ have a pack here with us for about a month" Ike tipped his head in thought as he tried to recall it "They parted with us and moved east a week ago…"

"Really?" Toboe watched Reinas eyes light up as Ike nodded before she looked to her wolf guardian "Cole, we're so close!"

"Yeah" Coles nodded

"That's great Reina" Toboe hummed exchanging smiled with the girl

"What will you do when you've found them?" Hige arched a brow curiously

"What will we do?" Cole echoed mirroring Hige's expression "I thought that much would be obvious…"

"We're going to go home" Reina was quick to answer

"Home?" Hige murmured

"Back to your destroyed town?" Tsume tried not to scuff at the plan the pair had but Reina didn't look bothered in fact she looked amused. Her smile grew wider than before and with her lovely green eyes twinkling she said something that stunned the three wolves she had just met a day ago:

"Of course not, silly, we're going to return home to paradise"

* * *

><p>Home to paradise<p>

To have a mere human girl say those words with such assurance in her eyes. Tsume didn't hesitate to laugh the minute the words left her mouth and Hige only barely repressed rolling his eyes but Toboe stared at little Reina in awe. Her words stuck with Toboe that day and her undeterred spirit in the face of such harsh laughter made the runt think about it for the rest of the day.

After seeing the tribes elder and hearing his story about how the world came to be, Toboe was still thinking about it. Eventually the young wolf was left restless and ended up wondering about the camp as night came and the others were given a place to rest.

It was during his wondering that Toboe encountered the human he pondered about.

The Mon tribe quickly welcomed Reina like she was born there. They gave her food and new cloths and a warm place to sleep. Honestly, if her completion had been a bit darker Toboe probably wouldn't have realized it was her. He found her perched on a rock by herself staring up at the moon. Reina looked so calm, so at peace with herself that Toboe was hesitant to approach her. Eventually, though, he found some courage and did.

"it's getting late" he mused and she turned her head to look at him as he carefully sat down on an edge of the rock "Aren't you going to go to sleep"

"Yea I will eventually" Reina moved over giving Toboe a hint to scoot closer which he did after a moment's hesitation "I just wanted to look at the moon for a bit…"

"Oh" Toboe mused then looked up at it as well.

"There's something wrong about this moon" Reina comment as the two of them continued to stare up at the orb in the sky. Just like the night Cheza was first taken the moon was no longer white but a faint shade of red and much like the past few days it felt like it hardly gave any energy like it use to.

"What do you think it means?" Toboe asked

"…I think someone is doing something" Reina answered "Someone who has my families' sacred text"

"Sacred text"

"The Book of the Red moon" Reina replied calmly "its words taught me everything I know about wolves and paradise. The book made me aware of a home I never know I had"

"But Reina you're…" Toboe trailed off as Reina turned her head to look at him. IT felt wrong to crush the girl's dreams by reminding her of the truth. She was so dedicated to her faith, what right did he have to change that?

"Hm?" Reina tipped her head as Toboe bit his lip and tried to look away. He could see it in her eyes though; Reina knew what Toboe wanted to say. "But I'm what? But I'm Human?" the girl questioned and Toboe shamefully nodded.

"Yea" he said "Paradise is meant for wolves…so you, being human can't…can't…" Toboe faltered and felt ashamed of himself but, as he should have expected by now, when the pup looked up at the young girl her green eyes showed no sorrow. In fact, Reina smiled so sweetly at Toboe that the runt couldn't help but blush a bit.

"Paradise is meant for wolves" Reina repeated his words turning her eyes back to the moon "so I, being a human, can't go to Paradise…right?" she looked to Toboe again.

"… Yea" Toboe nodded hesitantly

"…" there was a pause in the conversation and Toboe thought Reina would get angry with him but she didn't. The human hummed in response turning her eyes ahead "…you know, when I was growing up my mom use to tell me the stories the elder was telling before"

"About humans being made by wolves?" questioned Toboe

"yea" Reina nodded "In a way that makes us wolves too…" the young girl took in a deep breath and let out a long sigh that someone her age shouldn't have a reason to let out, it was like years upon years weighed down on her shoulders in that sigh. "But with time, we forgot our oldest roots and lost the abilities the wolves bless us with" she went on to explain "and in that forgotteness… the Noble came to be and with them came the sins of greed and lust and envy and the like. We, as humans, followed these powerful being born of our own abandonment of the Great Spirit and treated the creatures of the earth as they did: as lesser beings. For these offences most humans don't deserve to return to paradise with the wolves that created us…"

"But not all humans are like that!" Toboe was quick to voice his opinion. In truth Reina words scared him, they contradicted her every action and the resolve she displayed to everyone. Did even Reina believe she wouldn't make it? This thought almost made Toboe tear up in sorrow "Like Ike and the rest of the Mon tribe…a-and your parents… and _you too_ Reina… all of you… you treat everyone with such care and understanding…there's… there's _no way_ someone like you can go through life like this and not get rewarded." By the end of his rant Toboe moved from sitting next to Reina to standing before her with his hands clenched into tight, angry fist.

It wasn't fair… it wasn't _fair_.

"…haha" a soft sound was the answer to Toboes angry rant. The pup was left stunned as Reina broke into giggles and soon very loud laughs that she seemed to be trying hard to quiet with her hand "hahahaha"

"I-It's not funny!" Toboe flashed red though out of anger or embarrassment he wasn't sure anymore "I…I'm _serious_!"

"I-I'm sorry-hahaha-I'm sorry _really_!" the girl managed out between her fits of laughter and giggles "I don't mean to laugh I-I _swear_! Haha"

She swears she didn't mean to laugh yet she did-and still was for that matter. Toboe pointed this out and when he did the young girl apologized again and finally seem to calm herself just a bit. Reinas laugh became a few light chuckled until she could finally stop herself with a light sigh.

"I'm sorry" she apologized again "I didn't mean to laugh… it's just…" Reina flashed a pretty smile Toboes way "Cole said almost exactly the same thing to me once"

"He… He did?" Toboe blinked in surprise forgetting his anger from earlier

"Mhm" Reina nodded her head "back when I was little…a little while after Kurios burned to the ground" pulling up her knees to her chest and hugging her legs, the girls usually hopeful and cheerful face melted away before Toboes eyes. What remained was blank face and sad green eyes "Truthfully…I think you're right. I'm human, I don't have any right to enter paradise-not baring the sins of humanity like all human do but when I say things like that Cole would get upset and say something like that to me. He swears that humans can repent the sins of humanity and return to their wolfish nature, he believes with all his heart that when we find paradise I'll be able to join him but…" Reinas green eyes dulled and she glanced away from Toboe.

"…but you don't?" the pup finished the girls' sentence and she nodded

"I never have" the blunt honesty in little Reinas word startled Toboe. Reina put on a strong front that was for sure.

"Then why keep going?" the question formed in the copper pups head and came to his mouth before he could think to stop it. "…I mean" Toboe shifted a bit when Reina turned her gaze back to him and offered a look of curiosity "If you think you're not cut out for it…why keep going?"

"Because Cole deserves to go to paradise" Reina didn't hesitate to answer and despite her sad gaze Toboe could have sworn there was a hint of peace in her demeanor "And as the servant of the wolf it's my duty to make sure that he makes it home" Her lips curved into a smile that made Toboe flush a bright scarlet red "Even if I have to stand at the edge and watch him enter, I'll make sure Cole gets there"

Toboe and Reina didn't talk anymore after that. The pair simply sat in silence staring up at the pale, red moon until Reina decided to call it a night and went to bed leaving Toboe alone with his thoughts.

He certainly had a lot to think about.

There were so many things he was uncertain of now like if they'd ever find Kiba or Mahina and what would happen if they didn't. Right now it seemed like that only one determined to keep searching was Tsume- a fact that would have sent Mahi in tears laughing. Hige had already made his decision known and Toboe…well Toboe…

"…" the pup fell into silence when he stopped to think about what he should do.

Then he thought of Reina again, this human girl who traveled peacefully with a wolf. The young human who believed in a place she thought she could never enter but still struggled to reach simply because her wolf company could. Of any creature existing now Toboe could think of no other more deserving of paradise than young Reina Lumeria.

Reina deserved to reach paradise…but did Toboe?

For most of the night the young pup sat in that same place and thought long and hard about the journey so far and his place in it. By the time Toboe had come to a decision as to his own path from here on out the sun had broken from the horizon and Toboe found himself being greeted by Ike.

"It's time for us to go" Tsume appeared behind Ike with Hige close behind and his words stopped any conversation Toboe might have thought to have with the human.

"You're leaving?" Ike turned to face the grey wolf "already?"

"We're looking for a friend of ours" Tsume explained with a nod of his head "but we can't pick up his scent… do you know what's beyond those mountains?" the male turned his gaze southward and Ike follow his gaze.

"A dangerous land" the human declared "no one goes there"

"So it's a place no one else would be able to find huh?" Tsume muttered to himself

"A place like that definitely sounds like Kibas style" Hige chimed in with a less than interested look on his face.

"I'll show you the way" Ike offered "Let's go"

The travel from the camp to the path leading towards the southern mountains wasn't particularly long so it didn't take the group very long to get to it. They came across Cole and Reina on their way who ended up tagging along to wish them a safe journey and luck in finding who they were looking for.

Before Toboe knew it Ike had stopped his horse- in turn stopping the group- and pointed ahead.

"Beyond those rocks is a land called the Deserts Bones" explained Ike

"Why the Deserts bones?" Tsume asked the obvious

"The earth is so parched even the sand has left it" answered Ike as he turned his gaze towards the group behind him "but they say anyone who goes in experiences true happiness"

"Why the hell would you find happiness in a desert?" Toboe heard Hige snort to the left of him to the point that the pup could feel the ember wolf rolling his eyes.

"The spirits tell us there a patch of grass that's been growing out there for thousands of years. Anyone who rest beneath it is guided to the garden of eternity"

"Garden of Eternity…" Reina spoke up softly earning a curious glance from Toboe

From her place Reina looked to be in a daze. Her usually bright eyes were glazed over much like Toboe had seen the other night indicating that the young girl wasn't looking at anything and-to some extent- was not mentally present with them. A place that one could experience true happiness in… did that spark the same ideas Toboe was beginning to come up with in Reina too?

It did sound like something close to…

"Do you think that could be paradise?" the pup turned his gaze back to Ike who could do nothing but shrug in response.

"I don't know" he answered "no one who has gone has ever returned so we don't know what the place is like"

"…I see…" Toboe lowered his gaze. Uncertainty, this wasn't a new theme the group had stumbled upon suddenly. In fact, as Toboe recalled his night of deep thinking, this whole journey seemed to be built around the word.

There was uncertainty of Cheza and paradise and weather risking their lives for it was worth it at all. One more uncertainty surely couldn't make any difference and yet they very thought of it made Toboe frown. Why? Toboe know why. It was because with all those obstacles and doubt there had been Kiba to push everyone to keep going or Mahina to ease their doubts.

But Kiba was missing now and Mahina was…

Now it was up to Toboe to decided what he would make of the situation and the way that he saw it he stood at a fork in the road and was faced with a very important decision to make. Mahina wasn't here to guide him through it; Toboe- in that instant- was alone in his choice.

"Why don't you all stay here and live with our tribe?" Ike suggested

"I'm afraid we can't do that" Tsume didn't hesitate to decline the offer "you see, our friend was the one looking for paradise"

"I see…"

"I pray for you safe passage through fields of strife and doubt" Reina mused bringing her hands together and lowering her head in prayer "may we meet again in paradise"

"…" Toboe watched the black haired girl with a barely contained look of pain on his face. She knew it was a lie, she knew all of it was a lie and yet she still _smiled_ so brightly. It was enough to finalize the copper wolfs decision.

"Let's go" Tsume decided after taking a moment to quietly observe the girl. He turned on his heel and began the slow track up the hill leading to the Deserts Bones with Hige in toe but Toboe felt rooted to the ground under his feet.

"I…" he barely found his voice "I'm… not going… I… I want to stay here" his voice was soft, small, barely audible but everyone heard it and it made Tsume stop. Hige looked back at Toboe in disbelief and when Tsume finally looked back the pup almost couldn't bring himself to meet his eyes. Instead Toboe settled for staring at his own feet.

"…Toboe…"

"You're gonna stay here huh?" Tsume didn't sound surprised in the least bit "So that means you don't want to be with us anymore?"

"…yea…" Toboe nodded, he had spent all night thinking it over and this was what he had stumbled upon in his thinking "There's something about this place. How Ike and his people live… that's paradise to me"

"Are you sure?" Tsume questioned

"…"

"_Toboe_" Tsume spoke the pups name firmly in hopes of getting the runt to look at him "is this what you want?"

"…" Toboe clenched his hands into fist at his sides and continued to stare hard at his shoes. He couldn't look Tsume in the eyes; if he did he'd change his mind.

"…Well…" Tsume finally spoke up after a long pause between them "if it's really what you've decided than it's okay with me kid"

"H-Hey!" Hige barked out as Tsume turned back around and continued on his way.

"Take care of yourself" Tsume called over his shoulder never slowing down of stopping.

"…" Toboe watched as Hige gave him a couple of hesitant looks but slowly trailed after the grey wolf. Toboe wasn't all that surprised that Tsume didn't try to talk him into coming along. After all, Tsume had considered Toboe to be a pest since they first met why would that change now?

"…Toboe…" Reina was the one to break Toboe out of his thoughts as he watched the two remaining members of his now former pack grow smaller in the distance. The girl stepped into view, her green eyes looking Toboe over carefully and curiously "Toboe are you… are you-"

"…" Toboe turned away from the girl before she could finish her sentence. Making an about face the copper wolf made his way down the hill back to came wordlessly.

* * *

><p>"Are… you sure?"<p>

While Cole and Ike decided it was best not to bother Toboe Reina seemed to have other ideas. Even though he had decided to sit quietly on his own and think over his choice Reina was quick to seek him out.

"…" Toboe looked up at the girl who leaned forward to get a better look at his face "Reina…"

"About not going to paradise I mean" Reina explained herself as if Toboe didn't understand the question.

"I'm sure" Toboe smiled faintly watching the young girl lower herself to the ground beside him "I don't really have what it takes"

"Does anyone every really have what it takes?" Reina questioned and Toboe couldn't help but chuckle at her words.

"It's no wonder they all think I'm a coward" he remarked "not that it matters anymore" the pup was quick to add when he saw Reina open her mouth to voice what must have been some sort of protest "I'm sure Kiba is alright" Toboe mused on "Mahina too… and it's not like I have to worry about Tsume or Hige"

"But-" Reina tried again but Toboe wouldn't let her.

"I mean all I ever did was hold them back, they don't need that" the pup shook his head "If I'm here I won't get in their way"

"Oh Toboe" Reina sighed from her place "you don't mean that at all" perhaps she was right but Toboe had already made his decision.

"Besides" the pup mused "if I can't see you there… I don't want to go"

"If you can't see me-" for once it was Reinas turn to flash a shade of red and the sight of it caused a smirk to form on Toboes face. The girls porcelain skin reddened at her cheeks and a look of bashfulness came to her face "T-_Toboe_" she sent him a slight glare when he chuckled at her expense.

"When Cole goes to paradise" Toboe decided suddenly feeling a bit more cheer in him in Reinas presence "I'll stay behind with you… we could make our own paradise here on Earth"

"Make our own paradise?" the red in Reinas cheeks lessened a bit as she gathered what the pup was saying to her.

"I can see it now" Toboe flashed the girl a smile before looking ahead of him "A little cottage out in the middle of a big, green forest by a stream" and just like that Toboe could see it before him.

A humble, little wooden, cottage beside a stream in the middle of a clearing in the woods.

"when the sun is out the leaves glow like magic" he went on painting the image for Reina who now also stared ahead of them "when it sets the whole forest turns a shade of pink and orange… and-"

"And at night the crickets sing…" Reina mused out softly taking Toboe by surprise for a moment before he hummed in acknowledgment "and fireflies dance over the water"

"I'd go out and hunt everyday"

"And I'd cook the best dinners out of everything you catch"

"I'd protect you from anything that tried to hurt you"

"And… we'd lay by the fire during the winter nights…"

"…That'll be nice…" Toboe admitted. As they sat there listing off what their personal paradise would be like the pup could see it all before his eyes. Living with Reina, protecting her and hunting for her. He could see the young girl curled up beside him like how she was with Cole and the thought of spending the rest of his life like that make leaving paradise behind less regretful.

A life with a human like Reina… _that_ was paradise for Toboe.

"It's a promise then" Reina agreed moving quick to close the distance between the two of them and planted a firm kiss on the pups cheek. Toboe blinked in surprise bringing his hand to the cheek and flashing bright red when he fully realized what the girl had done.

"R-Reina!" the pup stammered out.

"To live together with you… in our own little paradise." Reina wasn't effected by her actions as Toboe was, she pushed herself up to her feet and gazed down at Toboe with a smile that didn't quiet reach her eyes "I…I can't wait"

"…" Toboe found himself speechless under Reinas smile. It was as if she knew something she wasn't letting onto.

But whatever it was Toboe never got the chance to question Reina about it. Suddenly the pup was hit with a bad feeling in his gut and when a breeze brushed past the both of them and Toboe caught a scent he tensed.

"What is it?" Reina had no trouble reading Toboes expression and figured out something was up "do you sense something?"

"It's coming from where Tsume and Hige went" Toboe replied pushing himself to his feet and moving so he stood beside Reina looking south "Something's most definitely wrong… I think it might be them…"

"You mean the people who attacked the dogs?"

"And attacked us too" Toboe nodded

"…" Reina bit down on her bottom lip locking eyes with Toboe for a moment before looking south again "…you should go" she said finally

"Go?" echoed Toboe

"They're your friends aren't they?" Reina questioned shooting the pup a look "you have to help them; I'll be fine-go!"

So Toboe went.

Leaping off the ledge where he and Reina had been, Toboe raced off south where Tsume and Hige had gone. It was a matter of time before the sounds of gunshots and laser blast reached his ears as well as growling and loud barking. By the time Toboe had gotten to the desert plains a battle between everyone and the invading humans had already climaxed and settling down and as Toboe neared the scene he couldn't help but wish he had been there sooner to see the fight.

Both Ike and Cole had gotten there first and while Ike sat atop his horse with a gun in hand Cole stood among Tsume and Hige with teeth bared and snarling at what looked to be the last two humans standing.

But that wasn't the startling point.

What really surprised Toboe was that they somehow had the humans outnumbered- _surrounded _actually. Everywhere Toboe looked there were wolves of all ages and sizes either standing in an offensive position or slowly pacing back and forth eyeing the humans as if they were food.

"What's going on here?" Toboe sputtered out the question slowing to a stop beside Hige and looking to the chubby male for answers "Who _are_ all these wolves?"

"…" Hige didn't answer Toboe; he didn't even make a sound that he knew the pup was there. The ember wolf stood stiff with mouth gaping open and eyes wide.

"What is it?" questioned Toboe when he saw that Tsume too held a similar expression. When neither gave Toboe an answer the pup decided to simply follow their gaze.

Among the large pack of unknown wolves only one stood in their human shift. A female judging by their slender frame; the she-wolf dawned worn-out looking tennis shoes and jean shorts that reached her mid-thighs. A gray jacket covered her torso with sleeves rolled up to her forearms and her short, boyishly cut, black hair danced in the light breeze that brushed across the land. She looked like no one Toboe knew but when the wind carried her scent towards him and the pup caught that faint, sweet smell of Lunar Flower there simply was _no_ mistaking it.

"…it can't be…" Toboe choked out.

The female must have heard him speak because she slowly turned her head and looked over her shoulder at him. Three long slashes mare her left cheek in what would defiantly turn into scars that reached up past her eyes.

Her eye.

Her gaze.

Those intense crimson eyes.

"…" as the female turned fully to look at Toboe the pup could understand why both Hige and Tsume were left speechless and gaping like fish. Toboe almost couldn't find the words. She looked so different but there was no mistaking the scent. This most defiantly was…

"…Mahina…"


	16. From where I came

**Thanks to Layla347, Blacktiger93, Crystal-Wolf-Gaurdian-967, Heather Tucker, Direngreyriles100, and an unnamed guest for reviewing the last chapter.**

**I'd also like to thank everyone for their shared patience, as some of you who have messaged me know i've been dealing with computer issue for the past few months, my previous computer broke down on me about two chapters ago and i had to save up to get a new one. I have the new one now so hopefully i can get right back into a regularly paced updating cycle.**

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><p><strong>Chapter: XV: From where I Came<strong>

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><p>The Deserts Bones live up to its title.<p>

The land was barren and dry. There was no sign of animals not even an old trail, it was almost like The Forest of Death- almost. The thought of that forsaken land sparked a phantoms touch of pain but it was weak enough to be shrugged off and focus returned.

The Deserts Bones was like The Forest of Death yet at the same time it wasn't. The Forest of Death lacked any form of life-sure- but in that abandoned forest there was a yearning- a deep hunger for life that trapped all who entered. In that sense this barren land was different, this dry place was utterly abandoned. If it had a yearning for life at one point that too had long since left as well. Nothing remained… or at least… almost nothing.

There was a single brush of plant sitting here in the desert, its leaves were long and large hanging down in a canopy that could easily shelter someone from a merciless sun above. Why would a noble have use for such a thing? These humans would not talk and as they suddenly dropped to the dry earth it was obvious that they never would again. That was a shame, the soldiers of Nobles usually didn't know much but they knew enough.

Mahina sighed for the slight loss of information but when she felt soft fur brush against her side she found herself forgetting about such losses. Carefully, her crimson gaze found the young wolf that stood to her left and her hand found its way to its head. She focused on running her fingers through the pups thick earth brown fur when she heard a familiar voice speak behind her.

"It can't be…"

She knew this voice…

The young wolf beside her looked back before Mahina could but she did eventually look as well staring at the copper pup from her peripheral. Was she imaging it? Was the little runt really standing there, Mahina turned her head completely.

The first eyes she met were the golden eyes of Tsume before she drifted to Hige and finally Mahina locked eyes with Toboe. The pup's expression changed immediately, he clenched his teeth and made a boarding hideous face. Mahina shouldn't have been surprised if he started crying right there on the spot. He heaved in a breath and spoke.

"…Mahina…"

Just hearing the pup speak her name brought Mahina back to days before now, in Darcia's keep, where the she-wolf truly stared death in the face. She remembered the look of horror on Tsume's blanched face as he reached out for her.

"MAHINA!"

The sheer desperation in the male's voice when he screamed out her name made the situation all too clear to Mahina. It took a split second between his yell of her name and the blast for Mahina to realize that she was going to die. This was the end of her journey.

Then the blast hit.

It was like Darica's attack all over again. Mahina could feel the heat of the blast beating down on her back as the ground shuddered under its sheer power. Mahina was utterly engulfed in light so blindingly white the female thought her eyes would burn out of their sockets. Then, just as fast as it came, the light was gone and the ground along with it.

She was falling through darkness.

Everything was happening so fast. Mahina was free falling through black itself. She must have been falling fast- she couldn't even see the hole she fell through. The she-wolf could still hear the explosions from the attack echoing around her, now that she thought about it Mahina was lucky that blast didn't vaporize her.

Well lucky at that moment at least.

When one falls they eventually land after all and Mahina landed and she landed hard. To suddenly stop after falling for a while definitely took the she-wolf by surprise, her back slammed against concrete with such force the female felt her bones rattle. Pain shook across her already injured back and the air was knocked out of her before she was sliding rapidly down the slanted ground she had hit. Wind whistled past her face and in her ears and the concrete under her scraped at her fur until it reached her skin.

_**Boom!**_

Another strike hit the keep and sent what sounded like ruble raining down in the darkness around her. Some of it was small hitting the female and cutting at her face until another explosion rocked the darkness. What must have been the biggest piece of debris fell just before Mahina and the she-wolf-still sliding down at a now unstoppable speed- hit it with the force of what felt like a eighteen wheeler against a brick wall.

Mahina slide down the ruble in sheer agony that she couldn't even scream out. Her lungs seem to have completely forgotten what it meant to breath for a moment. Aside from the occasional explosion, that were beginning to die down, Mahina was left in silence but when the attacks quieted down the female found her breath again all at once.

Her back shot off the ground and her mouth snapped open. The female's lungs finally expanded and even though every inch of her body rocked with pain at the movement Mahina inhaled taking in air like she would never breathe it again. She inhaled and inhaled and inhaled until it felt like her lungs would burst only to shriek out into the darkness for all the pain she had experienced. The endless void swallowed her screams and left her in silence again battered and broken. She couldn't move and the pain she felt made it so she couldn't think, at that point all Mahina felt she could do was lay there and wait for death- hopefully it would be merciful and grant Mahina a swift sleep. Just as she hoped for this the female found herself slowly being engulfed in light.

This light…what was it?

Was it another blast from the Noble?

Maybe she was really about to die…

Whatever it was Mahina was in no position to fight it. As the ground shook and the light gre brighter the slender wolf lost consciousness.

There was really no telling how long Mahina was out, it could have been minutes of hours or days. Hell, it could have been years for all she knew… but it didn't matter… in the endless darkness that the she-wolf floated in nothing mattered. Death was all the female thought this was, she was sailing through limbo until the universe decided what to do with the wretched beast that was her but again that didn't matter and even if it did Mahina felt like that was okay. She had done all that she could, fought as hard as she could and made what she'd like to think were a couple of friends along the way. Her efforts fell short when it came to paradise but honestly Mahina felt it was enough. She could fade into nothing without regretting not seeing paradise. Here, in this darkness, the female felt at peace… she could slip away now,

_…no…_

'No?' Mahina slowly opened her eyes when she heard a voice speak to her.

_…not yet…_

Somewhere far above her a light appeared in a pinprick of a size, Mahina stared up at it in confusion. Steadily the light grew in size until it looked more like an opening to somewhere… _beautiful_. Was this it for Mahina? The she-wolf thought of the voices words and they grounded her, what did it mean by not yet?

_You are not going to die here, not like this…_

Mahina watched the light as other voices joined the one speaking. Millions of tiny voices singing so sweetly and so peacefully in a song Mahina remembered…she knew this song, this was Cheza's song.

_'…Cheza?'_ the she-wolf croaked out in hop. Struggling to move, Mahina strained herself in order to life her arm and reach up about her towards the light.

_There is still so much to be done, young one…_

Something was coming out of the light. Hands countless hands reached out as if to reach Mahina's. The female reached back straining her best as the hands got closer and closer. One in particular was the closest, this had to be the one talking to her. Mahina fought against her useless body in her best effort to reach the hand as if broke from the others to reveal a pale arm.

_The fire still burns within you._

Someone was coming from among from among the countless arms and voices in a sea of wondrously, long, white hair rained down on Mahina. The ivory locks felt like pure silk once they brushed past her face and ticked her skin. A figure bathed in light so bright the slender wolf couldn't make out her features emerged and reached out for Mahina. This figure… she _knew_ this person.

_See it. Feel it. Let it rekindle your spirit._

Mahina fought her lead like body even more now straining herself in hopes that she could reach this beautiful creature. The figure smiled down at her as this fingers touched and a strange warmth rushed across the females being from the touching skin. Suddenly, Mahina felt renewed- alive even. Opening her eyes fully Mahina took in a slow breath and stared up at the angelic figure in awe; every pore in her body breathed with her. A glorious wave of peace overcame the she-wolf, if she died now that would be nice.

_You are **not** going to die here, Young one…_

The figure hovered over Mahina for a moment but the light was drawing her back in and the arms pulled her in. Mahina reached, her mouth open in a wordless cry for the person she was certain she knew now.

_You will not die here, Mahina._

_You still have much to do._

_And a long journey to go._

_You've spent your **life** protecting the flowers_

_Now it's our turn to protect you…_

_'Ha…'_ Mahina reached desperately but the figure was far from her now and her weak throat wouldn't push out the name she wanted to scream out _'Ha…Hana'_ the ivory silk hair of this beautiful being swept past her leaving the heavenly scent lunar flower heavy in the space around her '_Hana…Hana…'_ like a ghost of the past the arms circled around the figure and for the second time Mahina watched them pull her into light.

_Stay strong young one…_

**'_Hanabito!_'** Mahina yelled out but the light was gone and the she-wolf was left in darkness once again. Silence surrounded her as she returned to the present. Slowly, Mahina's sensed were coming back to her. She could sense that, wherever she was, she was closed in; ruble and debris had probably buried her- the possibility of being trapped under the remains of Darica's keep were becoming very likely. Mahina wasn't hopeless though, the hand she had reached out could feel water around her… how far had she fallen? In the silence Mahina strained herself to hear any movement around her.

"Kisa lets just go… there's nothing here and we're not going any farther than this"

"I can't just leave now! Something here, I know it"

"And what am I blaming this adventure on?"

"My nose, I can smell something… something sweet and heavenly…"

"Yea… I'm telling the others you've lost your touch"

"Don't you dare!"

_'Voices?'_ Mahina thought dully. Someone was out there… could they smell her? The she-wolf wanted to yell for them but her? The She-wolf wanted to yell for them but her head was swimming, she felt her muscles going limp and her eyes slowly closed.

"Wah!" the female assumed to be Kisa yelped.

"What?" her male company questioned

"S-something moved!" she replied

"I swear, Kisa, if this is another one of your jokes"

"It's not! I swear! L-Look!"

"Hm?...a-ah!" the male let out a slight yelp before Mahina heard a thump nearby her along with a grunt "it's a…a _hand_!"

"Someones buried down there!... this smell…"

"…Hey! Kisa that hand is _far_ past the 'No passing' line I established!"

"But this is the thing I was smelling!"

"Well, congratulations! You sniffed out a _dead_ _body_! Now that we've solved our required mystery of the day… are you even listening?!"

Clearing Kisa wasn't listening, Mahina could hear the female grunting as she moved concrete from of where the slender wolf laid but as the distance between this female and Mahina closed the she-wolf felt herself too weak to remain awake. She was slipping by the time the last slab of ruble was gone and light shined down on her.

"AHA!" Kisa declared before gasping

"What is it? What's there?"

"Kileona…are those…are those what I think they are?"

Again, Mahina was uncertain how long she was out but when she came to she wasn't floating anymore. Though her body felt like lead Mahina felt herself being carried, it must have been the two who had found her before… what were the names she heard before?... Kisa and Kileona?...that sounded about right.

It was a male and female had a sharp nose from what Mahina had gathered. They were talking from what the she-wolf could hear.

"Kileona…" the female spoke out "are you sure it's okay to bring her back with us"

"Come on Kisa, where's your sense of adventure?" Kileona replied with a chuckle that his company didn't return.

"We don't know who she is… or even _what_ she is…" Kisa voiced.

"We're bring her to the others Kisa" Kileona voiced over Kisa "you saw what was around her just like I did… Mother has to see her"

"We'd have to tell her that we were over by the Noble's keep" Kisa remarked

"So be it" Kileona replied "Mother can decide what we do with her"

Of course Mahina didn't like the idea of something else deciding her fate. The thought woke the she-wolf from her weak state but then the sound that followed shook her awake completely.

"Kiba!... Mahina!"

"That howl again…" the pair stopped and turned back in the direction of the howl that echoed through the air. "Kileona… do you think that wolf is looking for her?" Kisa spoke her concern "We should go back"

"It's too late to go back" Kileona brushed Kisa off "We're almost there anyway…"

"…If you're sure…"

"Mahina!" Toboe's howl rung out desperately.

"…Toboe…" Mahina found her voice finally earning the attention of those who found her. She gripped Kileona's shoulders as she stirred from her sluggish state "Put me down…"

"She's awake" Kisa jumped

"Yea, I can tell" Kileona winced when Mahina dug her nails into his shoulders "Don't move, you're pretty messed up"

"Put me _down_!" Mahina snarled out pushing against the male's shoulders with such force it tipped him forward. Kileona yelped aloud as he fell forward and Mahina used the shift in weight to slam his face into the icy ground under them.

"Kileona!" Kisa yelped from beside them quickly flinching when Mahina looked her way. The she-wolfs crimson eyes dart about wildly, she couldn't see- not that well at least. Everywhere she looked the slender female was met with odd shapes and blinded by bright colors that did nothing but adgitate her in her current state. When she spotted Kisa's blurry form from among the madness it was mainly because the young female let out a startled gasp.

Mahina didn't hesitate, she pushed off the ground and pounced.

Kisa cried out as both of them hit the ground hard and she found herself pinned by the hysterical wolf growling down at her.

"Stop!" kileona stammered recovering from his fall but gripping his nose in pain "We're not going to hurt you"

"_Shut up_!" Mahina snarled out but whirling around to bare her teeth in the male's general direction.

"Kiba!...Mahina!"

"Toboe…" Mahina breathed turning her head in the direction of the howl "…Toboe… _Toboe_…" Toboe had been in the keep during that attack! What if he was buried like she had been?! What if he needed her help!? Kisa took shaky breaths as Mahina climbed off her and turned where she heard the pups howl "Toboe" the she-wolf breathed the pup's name but try as she might she couldn't get to him. Colors and shapes danced around her vision making her stumble about dizzily holding her hands out forward to keep from falling.

"No wait! Don't go!" Kileona called but Mahina pushing on stumbling about blindly on shaky legs.

"Kileona" Kisa called though now it sounded more out of warning than just saying his name.

"**_Toboe_**!" Mahina shouted before a loud growl bubbled up behind her. The female spun around in time to see a black shape of what she assumed was a wolf charging at her. The wolf leapt up with a loud snarl and slashed Mahina down the left side of her face. Mahina shrieked stumbling back and away from the attacking wolf but lost her footing on her clumsy feet and fell backwards. Stars exploded before the she-wolfs eyes when her head hit the ground hard and she was left barely hanging onto her senses as all those bright colors and shapes now swirled together before her eyes.

"….Kiba…Mahina!" Mahina could still hear Toboe howling but she couldn't get to him… he sounded so far away…

"Toboe…" the female whimpered out as she suddenly found herself surrounded by three shadows- she listened to the copper pups howl and unwillingly gave in to unconsciousness.

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><p>When Mahina came to again she was laying on her back and feeling strange. As her conscious slowly swirled into focus the she-wolf felt oddly constricted, like she was wrapped tightly in something. Her body felt sluggish and heavy and when she opened her eyes she found that she could only see out her right eye. Thankfully the room wasn't a blind mess of swirling, bright colors and shapes like before. It came blurring into view in the one eye she could see out of and when she could get her vision into focus Mahina found that she was being stared at by a boy. The realization made the she-wolf blink in surprise and then bewilderment.<p>

This boy, from his looks, was young-probably the same age as Toboe if not younger.

Windswept, brown hair framed his round face and two, big, crystal blue eyes stared down at Mahina seeming to stick out even more because of his olive skin. The expression on his face was one of awe but for what? For Mahina? Why? It took a moment but he seem to realize that the she-wolf was staring back at him and when he did a small smile came to his face. Mahina took in the boy's face in silence, it took her very little time to spot the dried blood clinging to his nose and even less time to guess what cause the bleeding.

This must be Kileona.

"You're awake" the young male observed still smiling at the she-wolf "That's a surprise, I didn't think you'd be up again for a few days with all your wounds"

"…" Mahina stared at him in silence before glancing around the room she lay in only to find it was a den.

"You're safe, don't worry" the boy spoke up when he noticed her looking around.

"… Coming from the pack that attacked me" Mahina spoke up weakly "I don't believe that for a second"

"That was my mother" the pup explained calmly "Please don't hate her, it's not like she wanted to hurt you…"

"_Obviously_" the female's sarcasm was apparent and she hardly suppressed rolling her eyes.

"You were going hysterical" the pup went on to say "We were in Noble territory- if you had kept yelling and howling like that Jagura would have spotted us and destroyed us all"

"…" Mahina frowned "Jagura?"

"The Noble that attacked Darcia's keep" the pup nodded his head "She's been collecting wolves-we don't know how she finds us but we had just given her the slip around when we found you… so you can understand- I hope- why mother wanted to stop you from making so much noise while she was still nearby…"

"Whatever…" Mahina grumbled in response

"I bandaged you up though" the pup perked up and looked over the she-wolf's body, she did as well and saw that it was true, her bare body was covered in bandages- that was what that sensation was "And my mother didn't go that deep when she got you so your eye will be okay"

"Thank goodness" Mahina replied dryly before grunting as she pushed herself up from the ground.

"My names Kileona by the way" the pup perked as the slender female moved, he wagged his tail like a happy little pet, an action Mahina stare oddly at. Was it just her or did this pup seem a bit… excited to see Mahina. Kileona became still for a moment and a look of expectation crossed his face "…well?"

"What?" Mahina questioned

"Are you going to tell me _your_ name?" the pup asked with a slight chuckle to his tine "You _do_ have a name don't you?"

"Of course I have a name" Mahina snapped shooting Kileona an annoyed look that the pup seemed to brush off "…It's Mahina" the she-wolf answered finally.

"Mahina…" Kileona repeated the name with a hum "Well Mahina it's a good thing we found you when we did, you would have suffocated down there"

"Hardly" the female responded "if anything I would have died from my wounds"

"No, you wouldn't" Kileona scrunched up his face in bewilderment that Mahina mirrored.

"Yes, I would" she nodded, she had been in such pain before and after her fall Mahina could hardly breathe. The keep had swallowed her up, chewed her up and spat her out close to unfixably broken- actually she was surprised she could even move right now.

"But when we found you…"Kileona started to say but quickly fell silent sparking Mahina's curiosity.

"What?" the she-wolf turned her head to look at the pup with an eyebrow raised "…what about when you found me?"

"…" for once the pup frowned slightly "you mean you don't know?"

"Know what?" questioned Mahina but Kileona tipped his head up in self-thought with a hand to his chin.

"That's weird, I was almost certain that you had cause that, or at least been aware of it" the pup remarked, he was muttering to himself as he did. "…that's strange"

"What are you talking about?" Mahina questioned the pup

"Well" started Kileona "When we found you-"

"When you were found, you were surrounded by blooming Lunar Flowers" a new voice filled the den and silenced Kileona without effort. The pup perked up and looked past Mahina with new found excitement. Curious, the she-wolf looked as well though she had to turn her head completely because the side that face this voice was bandaged completely.

"Mother Kileona addressed the new comer.

A wolf nudge their way past the curtain that blocked out all the chill that would enter the den. The female was an off set of white- not pure white like Kiba but a fort of worn out color as if it was bright once but time and life had worn it down. She was big for a female and everything that made up her intimidating mas was pure muscle, even Mahina could see that. A deep scar ran across the left side of her face right under her eye and across the bridge of her nose.

She was ferocious, her very aura screaming that she was an alpha.

This was Kileona's mother apparently and she was also the one that took Mahina down. Seeing the she-wolf for herself, Mahina didn't actually feel that bad about being bested anymore.

Her human frame was curvy with a small waist but luscious hips. The definition of her muscles was easier to see in this form that her true one. Unlike her fur, she skin was olive in shade like her son that made her golden eyes stick out intensely. Her hair was waist long and brown. The alpha adjusted her black form-fitting shirt and sat before Mahina. The curtain moved one more time and a ember female entered the den this time, her eyes were a honey gold and her wispy mess of hair was the color of her fur. She shoved her hands into her fern green zip up sweatshirt and stared at Mahina. The she-wolf stared back though her attention was centered on what was around the young female's neck. It was as Mahina took in the young she-wolf's leather collar that the alpha spoke.

"I'm surprised to see you up" she spoke up meeting Mahina's crimson eyes without trouble "With your wounds you shouldn't be awake let alone sitting up"

"Yea, well" Mahina shrugged causally "I'm made of sturdy parts" the alpha smirked after hearing this "Sorry about you son"

Kileona- at Mahina's words- brought a hand to his face were dried blood caked around his nose and upper lip. He didn't seem bother by what happen to him though and he said as much with a chuckle and a shake of his head.

"Don't worry about it" he shrugged and grinned "every scar has a story and every wound is a lesson" Kileona's mother beamed quietly at him before her focus returned to Mahina.

"Kisa informed me that her and my son found you buried under ruble a few yards from Darica's keep" explained the mother "when they found you, your body was surrounded by Lunar flowers"

"Lunar flowers?" Mahina repeated and snorted slightly.

"It's true!" spoke up the female with the collar, this must be Kisa "There was no mistaking that scent. The Lunar flowers led me to where you were!"

"Kisa" the alpha fixed Kisa with a sharp stare that made her settle down.

"She's not lying" Kileona jumped in calmly "I saw it with my own eyes, so many white flowers glowing under the moonlight" the look that crossed the male's face made it clear he was recalling the sight as he spoke "and I could have sworn I heard them singing…"

Singing? This caught Mahina's attention. She stare curiously at Kileona.

"…are they still there?" she found herself asking "The Lunar Flowers, I mean"

"No" Kileona shook his head "almost as soon as I pulled you out they withered and died"

"all of them were gone within minutes" Kisa ocnclused

"…I see" Mahina muttered turning her gaze to her lap in deep thought. She tracked back to that vision in blinding white that she saw before Kileona and Kisa found her. The Hanabito and her words… did she protect Mahina and heal her? Mahina recalled the warmth that washed over her when she touched the imperfect being and how insistent she was that Mahina wasn't going to die.

There is still much to be done, she said, did she mean paradise?

"We feared the worst when we saw Jagura's fleet" the alpha broke Mahina's trail of thought "We thought she had found us again… imagine our surprise when she attacks Darcia's keep and simply leaves… and then…. We find you" her golden eyes burned into Mahina's crimson ones. "A wolf buried in Lunar Flowers"

"Your words have some kind of point to them, I just know it" Mahian replied with utter sarcasm in her voice. She saw Kisa gain a look of absolute horror at the older female's tone to an alpha.

But this wasn't Mahina's alpha.

"…" The she-wolf didn't seem at all offended by the tone, in fact for a second she seemed amused "I trust that my son informed you of the reason I had to…" she paused and looked to be trying to find the right words.

"Tried to claw my eye out?" Mahina offered

"Incapacitated you" the alpha decided and though Mahina fixed the alpha with a hard stare she nodded.

"Some Noble named Jagura has been hunting you pack down, tracking you wherever you go by some unknown means"

"Correct" the she-wolf nodded "and as I've said Jagua is also the one who attacked Darcia's earlier today" still Mahina could tell this she-wolf wasn't saying everything she wanted to say. She was easing into the point at a pace Mahina had no patience for.

"All these words and I still don't see what any of this has to do with me" she expressed as much.

"Hm" a smirk came to the alpha's face before a loo kof seriousness replaced it "In the years that we've spent running from Jagura I've learned some things:" the she-wolf spoke "it's not just this pack she's hunting and so far as wolves go she's not really hunting us"

"She's not?"

"She's gathering us?" the alpha explained "Collecting us if you will"

"Collecting wolves?" Mahina frowned at the idea "for what reason?"

"We don't know" the alpha shook her head "but that is where my point comes in and you as well"

"…I'm listening…"

"Over the years we've come across flocks of birds who's flight path is over Jagura's keep to the south of us and they've told us they've seen wolves escape that keep" the alpha explained "and every time one would, a fleet would follow shortly"

"I still don't see how I-"

"And then- just this morning- when we feared she had found us again, Jagura attacked Darica's keep instead…and we find you…" for some reason this alpha's golden gaze was beginning to feel more intense that when this conversation started and it left Mahina unsettled "buried in the ruble of the fallen keep, surround by flowers believed to no longer exist" there was a pause and Mahina was beginning to understand.

"…You think that I…" Mahina motioned to herself "That _I_ was captured by this Jagura?" it came before she could stop it, the female laughed "on what grounds?"

"Darcia's keep-" the she-wolf offered but Mahina shook her head.

"Nobles have been attacking each other for as long as they've been killing us" she replied "I've been in three different keeps that were attack by Nobles at this point and I can promise you it _wasn't_ because of me" though she wasn't about to go and tell them it was because of Cheza either. The alpha fell silent at this point "you have no reason to suspect me of anything and no reason to keep me here" Mahina continued and had no intention of staying. Toboe was out there, he need her.

"…" where Mahina expected protest she was met with more silence. The alpha female frowned and both she and her son exchanged looks before she turned her frowning gaze back to Mahina. "So you truly don't remember" the alpha mused

"Remember what?" Mahina snapped, all the odd glances and hinting words. All this dancing around the point was aggravating the female and she had no patience for it.

"The wild fire that scorched the earth…" the alpha answered and Mahina could feel the blood drain from her face. "The howls of countless trapped souls" in that moment Mahina became as transparent as fine-tempered glass. The alpha gained an all-knowing look, she could see it on Mahina's face that even is she had no memory of the event the crimson eyes she-wolf somehow knew.

Mahina knew the heat and the fire; the stench and the death of that night.

"How…" Mahina trailed off, she didn't even know what she was asking.

"You're different" the alpha spoke in a surprisingly soft tone "Your eyes are different, your scent is different… even your personality and name are different" the brown haired she-wolf let out a slight snort "Mahina" she said the name as if it were some sort of bad joke and rolled her eyes but a serious look came to her face quickly "That Noble changed so much about you but a mother _never_ forgets her own"

"!" Mahina let out a strangled sound as she took in the alpha's words "_Mother_?"

"On the night Jagura first attacked us" the alpha spoke "she took my home, my mate, most of my pack; but the memory that always haunted me was having to watch-helplessly- as he soldiers took you away from me" golden locked with crimson and even though Mahina was doubtful the alpha she stared at looked certain, sincere. "Miakoda"

* * *

><p><em>Noele hadn't been and alpha for very long on the night Jagura's fleet burned their home to the ground. It had only been two years so far and her second litter hadn't even opened their eyes yet. She remembered it so well, they were joining with a neighboring pack in the next couple of days but in the dead of night the Noble attacked.<em>

_Jagura's fleets descended upon Noele and her pack and as flames sparked to life and painted the sky shades of orange and red, the massacre began._

_Noele's mate joined the fray as did most of the pups of her first littler while she stayed behind to protect the newborns._

_Of her family only she stayed behind, only Miakoda._

_She was slender like her father with a mix of both her parents fur-tough she favored Noele more- looking shaky and scared where she stood before the den but determined all the same. She would stay and protect her brothers and sisters with her last breath, who was Noele to stop the pup?_

_But then, things became serious as a soldier suddenly emerged from a wall of flames._

_Noele turned to face the human with teeth bared and fur standing on end. This human would bleed before she let him anywhere near her pups. Noele snapped her teeth threateningly at the human and though he looked to hesitate he still aimed his gun at her. The alpha snarled louder and charged before the human could decide if he wanted to pull the trigger. But somehow his hand still found the trigger and in an instant of fear for his own life he pulled it._

_BANG!_

_The gun shot rang out like an explosion and the bullet flew free meeting Noele in the middle of her lunge. The bullet burned hotter than fire itself and pain shot across the she-wolf's face, blood splattered up into her eye and Noele was left jerking away from the gun wielding human._

_'No,No!' Maikoda cried out when Noele hit the ground. Noele looked up when she heard the thump of her pup running to her aid._

_'Miakoda' Noele struggled to see her pup from among her bloodied vision 'Don't! Run!'_

_BANG!_

_The soldier spun round and fired at Miakoda. Noele screamed, she wanted to look away from the oncoming tragedy but her eyes remained fixed but what would have been a tragedy turned to surprised. Miakoda's tiny paws left the ground and the bullet mean for her was buried into the dirt where she once was. The pup took to the air sailing across the distance until her teeth found the gunman's nose and she clenched it. The force and weight of Miakoda falling back to the ground caused the humans nose to be ripped completely off._

_Miakoda tumbled to the ground, rolling away from the soldier and spitting out his nose as he dropped his gun and screamed in agony._

_'MaMa!' the pup didn't hesitate to run for her wounded mother once the deed was done but before she could even get close the pup not only found her path blocked but suddenly surrounded 'MaMa!' Miakoda whimpered._

_'Don't you **dare** touch her!' Noele snarled baring her teeth and ready to attack. The humans were suddenly everywhere now, one of them appeared behind Noele and with a hard stomp slammed the she-wolf's head down on the ground and pinned her in place 'Miakoda!'_

_'MaMa!' Miakoda called with a yelp, Noele watched from her pinned place in horror as one of the soldiers grabbed her precious Miakoda by the scruff of her neck and snatched her up from the ground._

_'Miakoda!' Noele struggled in vain to free herself but it was useless. The soldier pinning her delivered a swift blow to her head with the butt of his gun and left her delirious '**Miakoda**!' she howled desperately but she could no longer hear her pups howling and crying._

_The soliders that took Miakoda didn't bother to kill Noele, they left her dizzy and barely clinging to consciousness in that burning woods with the assumption that she would die. They were wrong, of course, despite the countless wolves taken that night many of Noele and her pack survived every wolf, dead and alive, was accounted for the next day when the flames had settled- all but Miakoda._

_That was when Noele realized! They didn't kill her, they **took** her. This Noble stole Miakoda away, from that day on Noele never thought she'd live to see Miakoda again or learn what became of her._

* * *

><p>It was hard for anyone to gauge what the injured she-wolf was thinking as Noele told her story. Mahina listened quietly and without interrupting, staring blankly at her lap through the whole tale and when it ended her gaze remained fixed a tense silence filled the den in which both Noele and her son watched Mahina with hopeful eyes, curious as to when the female might speak and what she would say.<p>

When Mahina spoke she calmly and quietly asked to be left alone.

Reluctantly, the alpha granted Mahina's request gathering the two young wolves with her and leaving the den. The she-wolf sat in silence though she didn't spend it thinking about what she just learned. Actually, Mahina's mind wondered aimlessly, she thought of Toboe and how worried he must be about her, the little runt would be howling for Mahina all night and day if no one stopped him. Hopefully, Tsume and Hige got away safely and found him. Then, Mahina thought of Cheza. She hadn't sensed the Flower Maiden since she first woke up and right now the she-wolf didn't have the focus to reach out and search for the maiden. She wondered though, was Cheza okay? Did Cher get her to safety? Was she being treated well? Had Kiba found her?

Kiba…

The thought of the white wolf brought a pensive look to Mahina's once blank expression. Kiba would chase Cheza to the ends of the earth, Cheza would be fine but at what cost to Kiba? He wasn't afraid to die, so hard driven to find paradise that he didn't care how powerful the person in his way was. His focus was Cheza and paradise.

If only such determination meant anything in the face of battle.

Darcia had proven the worth of determination. He had demonstrated the power of the noble. Even a fallen house such as Darcia was able to decimate the pack with little effort imagine the destructive power this noble Jagura and her wolf hunting fleet must have,

'All that power and I was taken by them' the thought formed in Mahina's mind and everything came full circle.

Noele's worlds came spiraling back to Mahina with more clarity and sense than they had when she first heard them. Whether she liked it or not the revelation put something's into perspective, those dreams-the nightmares or mournful howls and fire, of tubes and tanks and green water… those were real?...those were memories? But why? What would a Noble need with a wolf? Why take one and kill the rest?

_"You're different"_ Noele's declaration surfaced from Mahina's spiraling thoughts _"That Noble changed so much about you"_

"Different" Mahina repeated the word to herself and thought to those once cryptic dreams. That was it, Mahina had been altered-modified- for reasons unknown to her but she must have escaped. That wasn't the point though-or perhaps it was but Mahina wasn't focused on that. The pit of the she-wolf's stomach felt like it was dropping into a bottomless void as she thought of what Jagura might have done to her and what it might mean. "I'm different" Mahina spiraled back again, Noele-stripping her of all she was for all she currently was. "But than what does that make me?" the female questioned herself a loud "_Who_ does that make me?"

Was she a wolf or a modified pet of a Noble?

Was she Mahina or was she Miakoda?

Has this search for Cheza and chasing paradise been something she had wanted or something programmed into her. The questions just kept spiraling around Mahina's head faster and faster until she felt dizzy. Slumping forward she gripped her head.

If she wasn't Mahina than who was she? Miakoda? Than who was _that_? What kind of wolf was this Miakoda? Did she like the same things that Mahina did? Did she walk the same? Talk the same? Was she better at hunting? Faster on her feet? Would she have spent almost all of her life chasing Cheza?

There were so many questions, Mahina laid back down as her head spun because of them all. Closing her eyes, Mahina let herself calm down, there was no point in working herself up she would only make her current condition worse. She had to put things into perspective again, she might have a lot of questions but there was someone who could answer some of them.

She waited for a while to rest and get enough strength back-it was only now that Mahina realized how exhausted she was- settling her mind enough to figure out where she should go from here. Mahina wasn't sure how long she'd spent laying there gathering her strength and mind but when she felt like she was ready to go out the she-wolf thought she hadn't spent nearly enough time resting. It was night when the female finally got up and walked out of the den she had been resting in. Noele wasn't hard to find, she sat a short distance from the entrance and when Mahina spotted her the female couldn't help but stare at the male who stood with her.

He was tall, towering over Mahina as she neared the pair with big broad shoulders. He wore a black coat that went down to his knees and what looked like dress pants. His hair was a dark shade of brown and though it appeared short and wild Mahina saw a long, braided ponytail hanging over his shoulder. The she-wolf was busy taking in the dozens of white and silver beads that decorated the braid when he turned around and crimson met electric blue.

"You're on your feet" Noele spoke up though Mahina kept her eyes on the male before her "You're recovering a lot faster than I thought you would" Mahina hummed to let the alpha know she had heard the comment. The male she stared at looked at Mahina with a look of expectation as if she should know him and perhaps she should have… if she had still been Miakoda maybe she would know him.

"…" with that thought in mind Mahina turned her gaze to Nole "I…" she paused for a moment "My name is Mahina" the statement pulled sullen looks from both Noele and the male she sat beside "I have no memories of this Miakoda… I don't know who that is and I don't think I can ever go back to being her" golden stared deep into crimson with a stern look but Mahina had never been one to back down from such examples of dominance "…but" she continued on in a soft, calm manner "I don't really know who-or _what_- Mahina is either… there are gaps in my memory, empty voids that I can't fill. I don't know how old Mahina is, I don't know why she seeks paradise, I don't know anything about the pack or family she had… if what you say is true… a Noble took those memories from me" Mahina thought this realization would anger her, that she would be shaking with rage for vengeance but all the she-wolf felt was calm. She stared back at the wolf claiming to be her mother with an expression of understanding of her situation "I don't think I'll ever get those memories back" Mahina confessed "but… I _do_ want answers. I want to know what that Noble did to me and I want to know why"

"Will you go after Jagura?" Noele questioned

"Eventually" answered Mahina "but first I want to know exactly what she took from me" the male beside Noele perked slightly at this and the alpha looked generally surprised "I want to know Miakoda"

"…" Noele was quiet for a beat but a soft smile quickly graced her face and she reached out and took Mahina's hands in hers. "The first thing you should know is…" Noele spoke "you're just like your father"

* * *

><p>Miakoda's father was given the name Nodin after the wind he was said to chase most of his young life. His frame was long and slender but what he lacked in size and muscle he made up for with speed and precision unlike anyone of his pack. He was an excellent leader, everything that he did-he did for the pack. He died the night Jagura attacked trying to protect the pack and help as many wolves as he could escape but there would never be it no other way.<p>

Miakoda was just like him, Noele explained.

At a young age the pup showed a passion like none her age- a drive to see the pack prosper. If the day had ever come she would have made a wonderful alpha and if he had known that his pup had ripped a human's nose off protecting her siblings he would be proud.

Miakoda had six living siblings: four from Noele's first litter and two from the second. All of them varied in personalities and quirks that Mahina found herself introduced to later that night.

The first one she was introduced to was Jacy. Noele said that he was her twin and Mahina could see it- his fur was the same color and pattern as her own- but that was about all that they had alike. The tall male that Mahina first saw standing with Noele when she stepped out of the den didn't have the slender build that she did. Much like his human form, Jacy's true form was muscular and large like his mother that held just as much intimidation. A deep scar ran across his chest from his left collarbone to his right upper hip. Mahina couldn't help but stare at it when Noele turned her golden eyes to the eldest son.

"If I remember correctly, Kileona was very eager to introduce you to the rest of your siblings" she said calmly "we can talk more later. In the meantime, Jacy"

"Yes" Jacy spoke in a deep voice that seemed to match his tall, broad appearance.

"Why don't you sow Miakoda to the spring where your siblings are" Noele suggested "It will give you both time to reintroduce yourselves" Jacy didn't make any sounds that he would follow his mother's wishes, settling for simply turning away from the two females and going on his way. Mahina hesitated but after a reassuring nod from Noele she quickly ran after him.

The pack hid from Jagura in a forest and though Mahina didn't know exactly how deep in they were she could tell they were deep enough to stay undetected. Mahina quietly trailed behind Jacy as they walked along narrow paths not ruled yet by tree roots. She took in everything and everyone she past the best she could with her uncovered right eye and what she saw interested her greatly. Never could Mahina remember seeing as many wolves as she did in that short walk; not even Zari's pack was this big. The she-wolf observed in quiet awe wolves ranging from pups to the elderly milling about the wood on their own task though they all held two things in common; everyone sported a scar of some sort somewhere on their body and all of them took a moment to pause to stare at the female with a not subtle curiousity.

It left Mahina feeling exposed and the she-wolf couldn't help but wonder, as an elderly female took an extra-long moment to stare, if Noele's pack was as _'welcoming'_ to outsiders as Zari's had been.

"Don't mind them" Jacy spoke up earning Mahina's gaze. The much taller male continued to look straight ahead as he walked sparing none of the wolves he passed so much as a glance "They're just curious, you're the first wolf we've ever found alive on a sight that Jagura sent her fleet through" it was most the male had spoken since they'd started walking and thought she'd only just met him Mahina had a feeling that Jacy wasn't much of a talker. Not that this fact bothered the she-wolf at all, given her current condition she wasn't in much of a mood for a chatter either.

Still, Mahina had questions.

"And yet your pack has greater numbers than I've seen before" she commented

"_Our_ pack" Jacy paused in his walking leaving just enough time for Mahina to avoid walking into him.

"…excuse me?"

"When you referd to us just now" Jacuy explained glancing over his shoulder to stare down at Mahina "You called it 'My pack' but that is wrong"

"…Oh?" Mahina arched her none covered brow

"You belong in this pack as well, Miakoda" the male spoke on addressing Mahina by the name she felt nothing for. The she-wolf frowned and turned her gaze away from Jacy's electric blue gaze "this isn't just my pack… it is _our_ pack"

"I have no memory of this pack" Mahina felt she should remind the male but with a stoic expression he shook his head.

"Even if you know nothing of yourself" Jacy spoke in a matter-of-fact tone that- like an invisible hand- tipped Mahina's chin up and forced her to stare the male in the eyes "_I_ do" Jacy declared with certainty "I know you very well"

"…" Mahina knew no way to respond to this though she wasn't sure why. Perhaps it was the way his eyes didn't waver when he spoke or maybe it was the certainty in his voice and tone. Either way the she-wolf fell into silence and watched her apparent twin as he lowered his gaze and eventually turned back around.

"Miakoda was the first of us to be born, they say" Jacy spoke beginning to move again, Mahina stumbled at first but she quickly caught up with the larger wolf "Charging out, yelping and crying, Mother says she led the rest of us out… like she was born to it"

Jacy went on like this for a while, describing the twin that he had known, Miakoda was playful with wide eyes of wonder and curiosity- while her siblings were ever so weary and cautious of the world around them Miakoda saw the unknown as an invitation always setting a path for others to follow. Jacy, however, had been more cautious. Sticking with his twin the large male noted, with a chuckle of amusement, that he was the reason Miakoda lived to see a year of life. He'd save her from a bear once-so he claims- and ever since then he'd never left her side.

Except, of course, for that night.

"…" it was just as the two of them turned down a path that took them from the rest of the packs sight that Jacy suddenly stopped walking again. "… I thought that she would be okay" he confessed aloud, Mahina could see his hands shaking as he did "The den was deep in our territory. So, I let her stay behind thinking she would be safe but…" Jacy let his sentence hang but Mahina knew what he meant to say.

But it _wasn't_ safe. But they _took_ Miakoda.

"..." The male was met with silence from Mahina and a deep from began to form on her face. Should she say something? But what could she say? _Honestly_? She knew very little of Jacy and even less of Miakoda so what could she say about the situation she had no memory of? What did Jacy search for when he looked back at her this time? His once stoic face now seemed weary yet hopeful.

"Did they hurt you?" the question surprised Mahina and she blinked bewildered by it "did they lock you in a cage? beat you?... experiment on you?" Jacy cringed at his own mind. The sheer thought of what might have befallen his sister during her years of captivity sickened him.

Mahina couldn't lie to Jacy and tell him nothing happen to her just like she couldn't really say that terrible things happend to her. The she-wolf couldn't remember and so didn't know the truth of it all. Mahina frowned upon meeting Jacy's gaze; she could see the guilt in the male's eyes but she could do nothingto settle it.

"I honestly don't know" the she-wolf confessed quietly "I don't have many memories of it all... just bits and pieces"

"...I see" Jacy mused, he seemed to realize he'd been staring at Mahina for after another moment of staring he turned back around and looked forward. "Right... It's probably better if you can't remember any of what may have happen to you..." after Jacy said this he went on walking in silence and Mahina- feeling slightly disatified by the result of the conversation- quietly followed.

Farther down the path they walked in silence until a sound began to reach Mahina's ears. at first it sounded like an odd thumping sound stating slow but sounding like they were getting faster as she drew near. Mahina strained her ears to hear the pounding sound.

"What..." she paused as they neared a break in the trees and the thumping got louder "What is the sound?"

"Those fools" Jacy grumbled from infront of Mahina "Mother told them about making such noises"

"Them?" Mahina echoed stepping over a fallen branch and out into the open.

The opening wasn't very large, the sky above was covered by the trees mostly. the small patches of sky not covered were pitch black and seemed to emphasis the pale red moon within it. Mahina stared up at the moon until JAcy stepped forward allowing the she-wolf space to look at the rest of the clearing. there wasn't much to see though, just a simple river with a sandy shore on either side. the scene would look peacful if the moon didn't cast such an errie shade or red on the landscape. The thumping that Mahina heard came from a small group of wolves sitting around a fire. there were four of them and one moved about the fire with amazing grace. Mahian quietly trailed after Jacy and kept her eye fixed on the moving figure.

A very slender female, this wolfs human form appeared tall from where Mahina watched her. she was of a faintly olive shade against the fire light with wild curls of brown hair that framed her face and moved about her head as if they had their own mind as she moved. She moved with ease in a grey sweater that looked far too big for her and as she spun around the fire recklessly her long, black skirt moved about her like a wave.

The three wolves around her stomped their feet against the ground and with each 'Thump' the moving she-wolf leaped or twirled or swayed and that was when Mahina realized...

"... She's dancing!" she voiced aloud.

Faster than light, the four wolves stopped and turned their attention to Mahina. the stomping wolves stopped and one quickly shot to his feet. the dancing female stopped mid-twirl, her skirt wrapping abotu her legs from the momentum, her arms were raised over her head and she turned her head to look back at Mahina.

A silence quickly fell upon all of them.

An uncomfortable silence that made Mahian feel embarrassed for speaking. Suddenly embarrassed with herself, Mahina quickly stepped behind Jacy's massive form.

"...Oh!" The male who stood up chirped after a moment of staring "Jacy! It's just you!" he chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck "I thought you were-"

"Who? Mother?" questioned Jacy "Who- I'm certain- will be upeset if she found you all making so much noise"

"I was going to say 'one of Jagura's soldiers' actually" the other male shot back with his hands on his hips before theatrically sighing and crossing his arms "and we weren't making _that_ much noise, don't be such a kill joy!"

"Tate..." one of the seated wolves, a mousy little female with a soft voice, spoke up "You shouldn't speak to him like that... he's the oldest"

"By what? a few minutes?" the one known as Tate snorted in response "Listen, Chepi, your big brother Jacy and I are from the same litter. So, there really is no older brother"

" thta's funny because you defiently act like an immature younger brother if you ask me" this wolf Mahian recognized. Kileona sat beside the small female named Chepi, smirking up at Tate. Tate scowled quickly reaching down and pinching the younger wolf's face so hard he yelped out.

"Say that to my face, ya little brat!" Tate barked out in annoyance.

"Ow, Ow, Ow!" yelped the pup "I'm telling mother!"

"You better not, Mama's boy!"

"Jacy" The once dancing female finally spoke up. Her voice was a low hum of a picth and smooth as polished glass, just speaking Jacy's name brought focus back to the wolves she stood among "...who is that standing behind you" Mahina tensed slightly under the female's blue eyes and though she felt like moving out of the curious gaze of the four wolves Jacy made it impossible by stepping out of the way.

Kileona recognized her immediately. Perking up upon seeing her, the pup stood up.

"Miakoda!" he yipped out the name.

"Miakoda..." Tate repeated the name softly and he looked Mahina's bandaged form over carefully. The feel of the area changed dramatically now that everyone knew who she was- or rather who she was supposed to be- and not everyone looked at Mahina in quiet curiosity.

The once dancing female who had noticed Mahina's presence seemed to stare at her in a harsher way than was necessary. She let her raised arms drop to either side of her body and said nothing. Mahina met her gaze as Tate took a tentative step forward.

"But Mikaoda was..." he trailed off.

"Mother looked her over" Jacy explained shoving his hands into his pockets and walking forward, leaving Mahina standing alone as he took a seat by the fire "and she said that this is Miakoda"

"I suppose I can't doubt mothers judgment" Tate muttered before he began to move with more certainty. Tate was before Mahina before the she-wolf really noticed his presence, when she finally realized he was there she fought a look of surprise that tried to come to her face and she quickly took a step back to put some distance between her and the grinning male "Hey Mia" he greeted her cheerfully but Mahina didn't know him so instead of replying she stared at him. "...Uh" Tate seem to notice the she-wolf's lack of response and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Miakoda has no memories of us" Jacy explained when Tate looked back at him for an explanation.

"Amnesia, huh?" Tate mused turning back to look Mahina over "well I guess is you're trapped in Jagura's keep for all those years you'd definitely want to forget everything" still, despite the look of caution Mahina fixed Tate with, the male offer her a great big smile "Then I guess I'll introduce myself huh? The names Tate" he pointed to himself "I'm you littermate... and guess if we go by order of who came out I'm your younger brother- oh you're the oldest if you're wondering uh... geez this is weird"

"That's your own fault" snickered Kileona

"Hush you" Tate shot the pup a glare before he was grinning at Mahina again.

Unlike his mother, Tate's fur was mostly white though his back was brown with stripes of black. He was a tall, slender male with a build similar to Mahina's. The she-wolf couldn't help but notice though that Tate- who was still talking at the moment- had an 'X' shaped scar over his right eye and his right fang was missing. Tate's human shift only slightly differed from his siblings. He was a lighter shade of olive compared to the others. Tate's chestnut hair was short and wild on his head. He wore a cream colored hoodie and a form fitting black t-shirt under with jeans. As Mahina took a tentative step forward she caught the sight of an earring in his left ear of what looked like a fang... was it his?

Someone so young and obviously cheerful shouldn't bare such scars.

"But anyway..." whatever Tate had planned to rant on about suddenly became lost to him once he turned around and realized Mahina stood right before him.

"..." Mahina felt a twinge of sorrow and awe as she reached up a hand and placed it on the male's right cheek. taking in her expression, the male stared at Mahina with soft eyes and an even softer smile. He placed his hand over hers and nuzzled it affectionately "These scars..." Mahina voiced

"They're nothing" Tate shook his head "the stupid human got cocky, but I got him- thought he could take my tooth as a prize but I got _that_ back too!" the male grinned pointing to his earring. With her free hand Mahina touched the bonewhite fang. He was so casual about it that Mahina wondered if he even cared about the loss. If she had never been taken, would this have happen to Tate?

If she had remained Miakoda, could she have stopped this?

"Come on" Tate took hold of both of Mahina's hands and nodded his head towards the fire "It's storming outside these woods so it's a bit chilly" the male took a step back but Mahina tensed up. Her response didn't bother Tate "Come sit by the fire, Mia" he said giving Mahina's hands a reassuring squeeze "I'll catch you up on everything"

Like his brother, Tate held an air of certainty. It was a look that told Mahina that even though she knew nothing he knew everything and he would trach her everything no matter how long it took. His hands held her tenderly with such warmth and understanding for Mahina's situation.

Mahina wasn't sure if it was Miakoda stirring somewhere within her of just Tate's over all friendliness. Either way, she felt the warmth and affection of this male towards the she-wolf he thought to be his sister. Mahina stared from her hands up into Tate's eyes before she found herself returning his warm smile with all sincerity.

"Okay" she found herself humming happily.

* * *

><p>" and then, out of <em>nowhere<em>, this gigantic bear comes up from out of the bushes, standing on its hind legs and it towered of the runt and I!" the light of the fire cast a great shadow on the tree behind him as Tate stood up and imitated the creature from his story. From her seat Mahina stared up at the great show in awe- it almost looked like a giant bear. "It had claws like giant daggers and scars all over its body. A wild guy, he was-and none too happy with us- I tell ya"

"What did you do?" asked Mahina

"What a dignified wolf _would_ do, of course" Tate snickered crossing his arms and smirking with pride "We turned tail and hauled ass out of there"

"You..." Mahina gave Tate a very bewildered look, she expected the tale to continue with details of a fierce- seemingly impossible- battle. The truth pulled a smile out of the she-wolf and seen she was holding her stomach in hard laughter. The cheery male grinned victoriously while Kileona and Jacy exchanged looks from across the fire."That's hardly a story to be proud of!" Mahina laughed out.

"What do you mean? I happen to be _very_ proud of my quick thinking and overall speed when faced with such danger" Tate declared dropping back down in his seat beside Mahina.

Most of the night so far, Tate had been entertaining his siblings and Mahina by retelling tales of past adventures. He was a happy-go-lucky male who didn't seem to know how to stop talking-much like his name entailed. His favorite story was the one about his fang: how one of Jagura's men-thinking Tate was dead- took the male's right fang only to invoke wrath and death as result.

"Can't really do much with only on fang anyway" remarked Kileona

"Hey!" Tate glared at Kileona sparking a fit of giggles from Mahina.

"Um..." a small and fragile voice spoke up from the other side of Mahina and the she-wolf turned her head to gaze at the owner. She was a mousy little female named Chepi and she was Mahina's baby sister.

On then night that she was taken away, Mahina- as Miakoda, protected her newborn siblings from being found and killed. Unfortunately, the smoke and fire took two pups from the litter leaving Kileona and Chepi as the soul survivors.

IT was explained to Mahina that the smoke nearly took Chepi but death spared her at the cost of her general health. She was a thin little wolf-not sickly thin but not at all normal. Her fur was a pure white like her mothers though black lined her back. Chepi's human shift was petite and fragile in looks with olive skin. Her hair was long, straight and earth brown reaching her wait. In her sky blue off the shoulder long sleeve dress with white lace up the back and black boots that reached her knees Chepi barely gave off a hint that she was a wolf.

"...Miakoda..." Her voice was soft but Mahina heard her all the same "Kileona said you had an old scar on your back... like you'd been shot..." Chepi stared at the fire for a moment before her honey eyes met Mahina's crimson ones "Were...Were you shot?"

The question startled Mahina and it showed on her face, an expression that Chepi didn't miss.

"Uh-you don't have to tell me" the petite female spoke up quickly

"It's alright, Chepi" Mahina spoke up just as softly "Time has past since the night it happen..." the she-wolf brought her hand to her shoulder near where that old man had buried a bullet into her. This scar declared Mahina's devotion to Cheza... if she had never been taken would the idea of earning it have meant anything to her?

Mahina sighed at the question she almost couldn't help but pose for herself.

"I have many scars, little one" the she-wolf offered the fragile little creature a soft gaze to assure that no offense was taken from her curiousity "many of which almost caused my death" it was almost funny how often this world seem to try to end her life but she just kept ticking. Even when Mahina herself had given up she just wouldn't die. Staring down at fragile, little Chepi Mahina hoped this world had been kind to her "i'm still alive, that's all that matters"

"Why don't you tell us about some of those near death experiences"

"Ayita" Jacy snapped immediately

This was the first time she'd addressed Mahina- the dancing female wolf- and her tone was none too kind. Mahina stared across the dancing flames at the fellow she-wolf's stony expression. So her name was Ayita then?

"What?" Ayita snapped back fixing her brother with a hard stare before her blue eyes found Mahina's crimson ones "Our sister is as much a stranger to us as we are to her. I'm certain I'm not the only one who has questions"

Of course her statement held water, Mahina could see it in the expressions of her siblings that they too were curious of her. The she-wolf sighed toying with the idea of telling them stories- of being shot by the wolf hunter of nearly killed by Darcia...

"Perhaps one day" Mahina responded turning her eyes to the slowly dying fire "but not today" she pushed herself to her feet.

"Mia" Tate was on his feet when the female wobbled slightly but she held out a hand letting him know she was okay.

"It's late" Mahina declared tiredly "and though I'm on my feet i still have some recovering to do"

"I'll help you back to the den" Tate stated persistently and though Mahina would have preferred to find her own way back she couldn't deny the fact that she didn't know her way around and she was much too tired to argue. So she nodded and with quiet bids of goodnight Mahina and Tate left the clearing together.

"Sorry about Ayita" Tate was quick to apologize for the she-wolf the minute he and Mahina were out of view of their siblings. Mahina shook her head though Tate didn't see it from his place in front of her.

"She had her reasons" Mahina respond with a shrug of her shoulders "Besides... it's not like the rest of you weren't asking the same questions..." Tate paused before her but Mahina kept walking "Quietly in your minds, of course" she breathed out as she calmly brushed past Tate and turned onto the path that lead back to the den.

"...Mia" Tate called out to Mahina; she stopped but didn't look back at the male, the once cheerful wolf spoke on either way " I know you're tired and all but... I do have _one_ question i wanted to ask..."

"..." Mahina said nothing in response, since she voice no protest to the question Tate spoke on.

"All this time that you've been free from Jagura, did you ever look for us?" he asked a bit hesitantly, Mahina could feel Tate's gaze on the back of her head " I don't mean us specifically but just family in general, you know... an old pack"

"...no" Mahina answered honestly after giving the question a moment of thought. When she looekd back at Tate the male held a troubled expression "I did wonder what everyone was like once or twice, but the idea of actively searching for you seemed pointless"

"But we looked for you" Tate spoke up through clenched teeth "We looekd for you for _years_"

"Because you knew me" Mahina didn't hesitate to reply turning back to face her brother "you knew Miakoda, you had memories of her to remind you that there was a chance that she was still out there... I" Mahina motioned to herself "had _nothing_. No faces, no names, no happy stories about bears and chasing foxes. the only thing I had on the day I woke up with nothing was my name... _Mahina_" the female confessed but thought bitterly that even her _name_ was given to her by a Noble. "When I looked at this would all i saw was death, I figured if I _had_ a family they were gone"

And so she chased Cheza and paradise because at the time Mahina believe she had nothing else, but now it just felt like someone made it so she _knew_ nothing else.

"Mia-" Tate started

"_Mahina_" Mahina corrested him sharply "That's my name"

"..." Tate frowned but didn't seem offended "are you sure of that?" the question silenced the female, really she had no strong answer to that.

"You don't have to walk with me anymore" Mahina mused quietly turning her back on Tate "I can find my way back form here" before Tate could say anything Mahina was gone.

* * *

><p><strong>Darkness seemed to be the theme of Mahina's dreams as of recent. She opened her eyes to an empty void that seemed to go on forever. Groaning slightly, the she-wolf pushed herself to her feet grateful to have motion in a dream for once. She turned slowly taking in the void she stood within for a sign she wasn't alone.<strong>

**She wasn't.**

**Mahina quickly spotted a figure standing within the darkness looking about as she did and after a few minutes of staring the she-wolf easily recognized who the figure was.**

**"Kiba" Mahina;s voice echoed around them sounding softer than the female had intened it to. Kiba spun around as Mahina drew close and Azure met Crimson. "Kiba..." Mahina felt a swell of relief bubble within her at the sight of the white wolf. of course, she figured that Kiba would escape the keep alive but seeing him-standing there before her- felt like some of this heavy burden on Mahina's shoulders was gone. Smiling, Mahina reached for him her moth slightly open in a silent beckon for him to come to her.**

**Come, she wanted to say, let's keep going to Paradise, together.**

**Kiba looked at Mahina's extended hand before taking in her face but not once did the white wolf show any sign he recognized her.**

**"...who are you?" the question didn't echo like Mahina's voice did "Do I know you?"**

**"..." Mahina opened her mouth to insist that he did but the words lost strength before they could reach her tongue. Instead Mahina sighed, did Kiba really know her? "...I guess not..." the she-wolf confessed honestly, she smiled sadly at Kiba and turned away from him. Kiba faded into the darkness as she did. "... who am I?" the question echoed around her and a loud hoot replied.**

**Who are you_? What _are you? I don't know.**

**"This voice..." Mahina muttered spinning around in hopes of spotting who spoke to her. She'd only heard it briefly- and in a state of delirium- but Mahina remembered it. This was the owl from The Forest of Death. With a loud hoot the owl suddenly appeared, swooping over Mahina's head and off into the distance.**

**But what defines who a creature is and who decides what creature is?... I dont know.**

**The she-wolf didn't hesitate to chase after the bird, running through the endless black in slight hope that this elusive owl would give her some kind of answer.**

**Who are you? What are you?**

**Why do you exist?**

**So many questions, so little answers.**

**Answers only lead to more questions with all the same answers.**

**Around and around and _around_.**

**Who are you? What are you? Why do you exist?**

**I don't know...**

**Mahina made sure she kept that pesky owl in her sights. He flew a good distance away but not so much that the she-wolf couldn't catch up to him. But then, suddenl, something took shape before Mahina and she hd to skid to a halt just to keep from running into it. Mahina stumbled back when she took in the little creature. It was a pup, a slender female whose coat matched theshe-wolf's with big silver eyes.**

**"M...Miakoda" the name escaped Mahina's lips at the pup's eyes bore inot her. the sight was unnerving enough to make the she-wolf try and put as much distance between her and the pup as possible but within the first few step she backed into someone. Mahina spun around with a sharp gasp, across from Miakoda stood a young girl. Her hair was black and long draping over her body and sticking wet to her pale skin. Her eyes were big and an intense red that Mahina almost cringed at. She said nothing, this little girl, she just stood there silently as Miakoda and stared. Disturbed by the sight Mahina made for an escape but her path was still blocked by a figure matching Mahina's height.**

**Long black hair fell off her shoulders in waves that ran past her waist, a white gown hugged her slender frame. Mahina recognized this woman as the ghostly phantom that haunted the keep where Cheza was born but now she stood before Mahina rather than hiding in the shadows. She did nothing, said nothing only stared, from the black hair that framed that pale face bright Crimson eyes burned into Mahina's core and the She-wolf cringed under the feeling.**

**"What is this?" the female questioned looking around her t the three girls staring at her "Why are you here? What does this mean?!"**

**"Its mean nothing" Mahina spun around at the voice that replied to her question. at first she thought a mirror stood before her but Mahina quickly realized she was staring at herself all bandaged and bloodied. This reflection of herself completed the square and boxed the she-wolf in, she was trapped "Honestly?" her copy spoke on "all of this... it means nothing"**

**"Nothing?" Mahina whimpered hugging herself**

**"Nothing" her copy echoed, above them the owl hooted and circled "for nothing has meaning if you don't have a self"**

**What happens if you know not who you are or what you are?**

**Nothing.**

**To have no self is to have no goals.**

**To have no goals is to have no meaning.**

**To have no meaning is to have no answers.**

**No answers means many questions.**

**Who are you? What are you? Why do you exist? Why were you created?**

**I don't know..._You_ don't know.**

**There is nothing if there is no self.**

**"If there is no self?" Mahina echoed, she watched the owl over her head as his words- along with his hooting- echoed around her.**

**Around and around and around still.**

**The circle is endless!**

**Endlessly spinning! Endlessly lost!**

**An end is a beginning and a beginning is an end.**

**And so the cycle continues.**

**Around and around and around once more.**

**Where did it begin? where does it end?**

**I don't know...You don't know**

**Without a self we may _never_ know...**

**The owl's words echoed around Mahina as did his hooting and none of it made a bit of sense. none of it but one thing...**

**"If I have no sense of self...I'm lost?" Mahina voiced to herself before her vision suddenly swam before her eyes and her body lost all strength.**

* * *

><p>"You're healing a lot faster than I think i've ever seen anyone heal"<p>

"What can I say... I'm made of sturdy parts"

"..." pausing in what they were doing, both Kileona and Chepi frowned as did Mahina. The comment was meant to be a joke but given the situation it would be surprising is either of them could get out a chuckle.

"...Sorry" the she-wolf apologized

"No, It's alright" Kileona shook his head as chepi went back to unraveling the bandages that were wrapped around Mahina's head.

A day had past since Mahina had been reunited with her family and she spent most of it resting. Now, on the morning of the second day, Noele had deemed Mahina well enough to travel and declared that the pack would continue south. she planned to pass Jagura's keep and get as far south as south went. Mahina had agreed to join the pack as he had questions for the Noble.

Besides, Jagura had taken Cheza and that meant Kiba would be...

"...Hm" The she-wolf stare off into nothing at the thought of the male, Kileona took notice.

"Thinking about your old pack again?" the pup questioned grinning with amusment when Mahina offered him a slightly startled expression.

"Are you worried about them?" asked Chepi

"... A bit" Mahina confessed with a shrug "there was a pup among them... a little runt that reminds me of you a bit" she motioned to Kileona

"I'm _not_ a runt" Kileona pouted to which Mahina chuckled at.

"He says that a lot too..." she remarked

"Toboe... was that his name?" Mahina nodded her head at Kileona's words

"How did you?..."

"When Kisa and I found you that was the name you kept screaming" the pup explained "he must mean a lot to you"

"In a way I guess..." Mahina smiled fondly "scrawny little runt can hardly take care of himself. I guess that's what drew me to him..."

"You wanted to protect him" Kileona explained, Mahina nodded in agreement and a silence came to the three as the last of the bandaged fell from the she-wolf's head "...you want to know my only regret?" Kileona spoke up after a moment. Mahina didn't voice a response but she met his eyes indicating he could continue "When we got a little older Mother told Chepi and I about you and what you did. How you sacrificed yourself to protect us..." Kileona and Chepi met eyes before Kileona smiled fondly at Mahina "We thought you were so cool Miakoda" he confessed

"I... I'm hardly anything like that" Mahina remarked bashfully.

"It's true" Chepi spoke in her normally soft voice "We always as ourselves:...'What would Miakoda do?' when we're in trouble" These two... their eyes hummed with the warmth of their fond memories, the sight of it made Mahina smile.

"My only regret in life" Kileona spoke up "Is that I hadn't been old enough to meet my big sister Miakoda" he confessed with a hint of sorrow in his voice. From her place beside him Chepi nodded her head in agreement.

Mahina frowned, she must be such a disappointment. Sure, she was here now but so far the female had done nothing but stubbornly deny that she was the wolf everyone claimed she was.

"Kileona... Chepi..." Mahina mused "I'm sorry that I can't be that same sister that you remember"

"What do you mean?" Kileona arched a brow at Mahina "Mia... you could barely walk when I found you, I don't even think you could see... butwhen you heard that wolf howling for you, you fought your hardest jsut to get to him... Just like you fought to save Chepi and I" Kileona took both of Mahina's hands and squeezed them tightly. "Mahina or Miakoda I don't care _what_ you decide your name is. When I think of _my_ big sister... I think of how willing she was to sacrifice herself for others."

"..." Mahina was speechless before an almost miserable look came to her face and the she-wolf couldn't take it anymore. With a hard yank both young pups fell forward into Mahina's open arms where she enveloped them in a tight hug.

"Ah!" Chepi yelped in surprise

"M-Mia-" Kileona stammered out

"I want to be her again" Mahina gave her emotions words "the sister you both remember, The Miakoda you hoped for..."

"But that's what we've been trying to tell you" Kileona chuckled, both her and Chepi smiled at each other before they circled Mahina in their arms allowing her to pull them close and bury her face between them "You're all we've ever imagined and more" Kileona assured Mahina running a hand over her head.

"A name" Chepi added with a tone of wisdom far beyond her years "is just a name. You are the values you hold and the actions you take in life" Mahina found no power in her voice at that point, she simply nodded and continued to clutch the two pups like there were life itself.

* * *

><p>It took Mahina a couple of minutes to finally gather herself enough to exit the den. The woods were livelier than they had been two days ago, head counts were taking place, mothers called to their pups while others simply stood around idly waiting for the pack to move out as a whole.<p>

Currently, Mahina stared at herself in the reflection of the nearby stream with grown curiosity. Her human shift had changed. once long, black hair was now short, boyish in style and windswept. It almost looked like Tates hair if it wasn't for the fact that it was black. Her jeans were now jean shorts and her white blouse had become a purple halter top exposing her back and revealing to Mahina the extended damage done to her. Of course there was the scar from the bullet on her shoulder but thanks to more recent confrontations with Nobles there was no place left on the she-wolf's back that was left unmarred. Mahina didn't mind of course, she gazed at the dark scars that criss-crossed her back with admiration and pride.

"looks good on you" Mahina stopped looking at her back quickly meeting eyes with Jacy. The male had his arms crossed behind his back and a small smirk on his face. "...you look surprised..." he observed.

"My hair is shorter" Mahina explained shrugging on the gray jacket that she now had in place of her hoode "My clothes have changed too... I've never..." she trailed off, Jacy's smirk grew a bit before e slowly made his way to Mahina's side.

"Tell me" he spoke "when you see an elder do you assume their shift always looked so old?" it was a good question, Mahina frowned when she realized she'd never actually thought about it "What about the pups, do you assume they will always look so child-like?"

"...No...I suppose they wouldn't?" Mahina hummed.

"Our human shift" spoke Jacy as he stepped forward until he stood beside Mahina "Is an illusion we use to hide ourselves from the humans who wish us dead. They change depending on our age, the place where we are born and the experience in our lives" he explained watching Mahina as she examined the three long, dark slash marks that ran down the left side of her face where Noele had attacked her just two days ago. She lightly touched the scar before turning back to Jacy.

"It does make sense" she mused

"In there past two days you've gone through a great emotional event, its changed you and who you see yourself as and so your shift-too- has changed" Jacy smiled warmly at Mahina reaching up to brush a stray lock of hair out of her face "Like a camilien blending into nature" he spoke fondly.

"Of a snake shedding its old skin" a new voice joined the conversation with a sting of venom that Mahina had grown use to.

The paur turned their focus to the she-wolf who now approached them. Ayita fixed Mahina with a hard look but Mahina wasn't bothered by it at this point.

"Ayita" Jacy sighed "enough of this nonsense"

"It is not nonsense" Ayita snarled "why does everyone say that i'm speaking nonsense?"

"Come on, give it a rest already" Tate spoke from nearby. he stepped forward to join the slowly brewing argument.

"Why? Because i ask the questions that no one seems to think to ask?" Ayita shot back before motioning to Mahina "Because I refuse to simply accept that this _stranger_ is who she says she is"

"I've said no such things" Mahina voiced calmly only to be drowned out by Ayita snarling

"You are a liar and a fake!" she accused pointing a harsh finger at Mahina

"Ayita!" Jacy barked out in anger, he bared his fangs at his sister "are you saying you doubt mother?" the area became tense as the pack standing about whispered and mutter among themselves "Choose your next words _carefully_ Ayita"

"I do not" Ayita answered with a shake of her head "Mother is careful, I _know_ she would not make such decisions lightly, but I refuse to belie that this she-wolf is the Miakoda taken from us years ago!" the female sneered slightly when she said the name "Do I even dare to call you Miakoda or do you prefer Mahina?"

"..." honestly Mahina didn't care but she felt if she said that Ayita would simply scream over her again.

"I see the truth" the female ranted on "the others pretend they don't but I see it. What is the possibility of not only Jagura not killing when she took you- but that you would somehow escape and somehow run into us your 'long lost pack' " it was at this point that Mahina was starting to see the picture the female was painting and she didn't like it one bit. "There are only two ways a wolf gets out of Jagura's keep" Ayita declared loudly for everyone to hear "Either- by some dumbluck- the escaped or she let them go"

"Ayita"

"Shup up Tate" Ayita snarled fixing her angered glare on her brother before looking back at Mahina who was glaring right back t her now "It makes sense doesn't it?" she was egging MAhina on and they both knew it. "What better way to hunt wolves then to set one loose and track it!"

"Enough!" a new voice shouted over the yelling and all in the area fell still and silent. All the commotion had attracted the Alpha and as she came int view Noele did not look please "What is the meaning of all this noise" she held authority in her voice that caused a flicker of fear to cross Ayita's face.

"Mother..." after all that overzealous finger pointing Ayita lost most of her confidence in the face of her more dominant mother.

"My dear sister" Mahina spoke up "was explaining that I may possibly be some sort of tracker for Jagura"

"Don't call me your sister" Ayita growled feirsly "Miakoda... Mahina-whoever you call yourself! you have no right to call me sister!"

Ayita" Noel spoke sternly, the female addressed fell silent "we spoke of this last night, I don't want to hear another word"

"But-"

"Ayita" Noele was now a mother lecturing a stubborn child, Ayita frowned deeply "That's enough"

"It's fine" finally, after listening to Ayita's ranting and raving and accusing, Mahina spoke up. all heads turned to look at her "Really it is"

"Mia"

"Miakoda, Mahina. Call me what you want, ' ." the statement seemed ot take Ayita by surprise "Scrawny, Mahi, devil... this one" the last one Mahina spoke in a soft whisper of a voice "A name is just a name, nothing else" slowly Mahina took a step forward and approached Ayita not flinching even as the she-wolf snarled dangerously at her "It doesn't matter, I know who i am regardless of who calls me what and you know what you're right, I'm _not_ the Miakoda you remember and that's because she's _dead_!"

"She's-" Ayita looked speechless for a second but quickly became furious "How _dare_ you!" she bared her teeth at Mahina and with a snarl and a loud bark she charged.

Mahna didn't flinch letting the she-wolf pounce her and pin her to the ground even as Noele yelled for them to stop. the pair rolled and tumbled about kicking up dust sparking yelling among the rest of the pack.

"Stop it, both of you!" Noele stepped forward but paused. there was a cloud of dust surrounding them, The Alpha wasn't sure who was who "I said _enough_!"

The fighting did stop but only after Mahina's teeth found flesh and Ayita shrieked out in pain. Copper blood filled Mahina's mouth and the hand that she bit into twitched, clenching and unclenching while its owner whimpered in pain. With her free hand Ayita slugged Mahina hard enough to make her let go allowing the female room to jump back but Mahina wasn't done with Ayita yet. She charged the brown she-wolf ramming her body into her hard enough to take her off her feet and onto her back. Still upon the stunned female Mahina slammed a weather shoe against Ayita's chest and pinned her down knocking the air out of her at the same time. Mahina watched her so-called sister cough and gasp for air with blank-almost passive eyes.

"Your threats are a joke" she taunted the downed female "A joke yapped out by a _bitch_ throwing a temper tantrum and i'm not afraid of you. Death itself can't contain me- and _trust me_, it's always trying- so what makes you think i'm even worried about what you say?" she pressed her foot down firmly on Ayita's chest when she tried to move and fixed her with a look fueled by all her current anger "That noble you so stupidly accused me of tracking wolves for _took_ something from me, something precious... something .back. and i plan to get it. I will find Jagura, I will get all the information i need out of her and after i rip out her _throat_ and watch her choke on her own blood I will take back what is mine" she meant her words and she could see it in Ayita's eyes that she knew that she meant what she said "and I'm not about to let some self entitled, paranoid she-wolf get in my way" Mahina declared "family or not... if you stand in my way... I will gladly make you bleed"

A silence followed Mahina's startling speech and she used this moment to take her foot off Ayita allowing the female to scramble to her feet bloody and gasping to catch her breath.

"Nobles!" the tense silence broke thanks to Kileona's loud declaration from somewhere among the crowd and he was quickly given a path to his mother "Nobles..."

"Where?" Noele questioned

"Scouts said a few miles south" Kileona panted out leaning froward trying to catch his breath "A Truck full perhaps, driving North through The Deserts Bones"

"I see..." Noele hummed crossing her arms "I'll nee a group to stay here with the elderly and young and the rest will patrol the woods. Jacy"

"Mother" Jacy stepped forward upon being called

"form the necessary team so we can go search out an alternative route"

"That's not all" Keliona panted holding out a hand to stop his mother before she could get far "There's a scent, two wolves have been spotted and there's a faint scent of a third that might be nearby..."

"Three wolves?" Mahina perked at the mention of the wolves, Noele noticed and gave her a curious look.

"You know there wolves?"

"Maybe" Mahina answered with a slight nod "The wolves I had been with were inside the keep when Jagura attacked it... though I know one escaped there were three others..." it could be them with Toboe among them. The poor pup, Mahina almost couldn't bring herself to think of what he must be going through for the past few days with Tsume and Hige.

"I see" Noele nodded "Friend or not we never leave one of our kind unaided" the tone in her words spoke of her authority over her large pack, wolves- most of them young- began moving about to stand behind the female. She looked them over for a moment before nodding "The nobles have targeted our brethren and I do not intend to leave them to their fate. Who will stand with me?"

The response was immediate, loud barks and howls erupted among the crowd. They were easily rallied and it took no time for a large group to be formed and sent off to fight the Noble's soldiers, of the wolves that made their way to The Deserts Bones both Kileona and Mahina were among them. With the help of the two wolves and a nearby human the soldiers- that didn't suddenly fall unconscious- were killed.

So here Mahina was, standing among her family's pack looking like a complete stranger to her own pack but was recognized all the same.

"Mahina... you're _alive_" Hige remarked in disbelief while Toboe seemed to be trying his damndist to not start crying

"But _how_" Tsume questioned "I was there, I saw..." he trailed off

"You saw me disappear through the floor to my apparent death" Mahina finished softly wit a hum thinking back to the fate and pure dumb luck that resulted in her standing here now "it's alright... I thought I had died too"

"Who is that?" Mahina finally noticed the black wolf standing among her pack that wasn't Blue. The male leaned towards Hige and whispered though Mahina could hear them "is this the friend you were looking for? the one looking for Paradise?"

"One of them" Hige muttered back.

"This scent" Kisa spoke up sniffing the air "The one that belonged to that third wolf" her gaze looekd past Mahina at the patch of green they stood around.

"There's a _wolf_ in here!"

"Miakoda..." Noele spoke up and Mahina turned around to see this wolf everyone was gaping at. It looked like skin and bones, like it hadn't eaten for days, and though the dirt colored it tan Mahina could tell it's fur was white, almost like...

"..." Mahina took in a sharp breath spinning around completely to face the plant just as a light breeze past through. This faint scent of pine and snow... "...Kiba" the she-wolf breathed out.


End file.
